Upper Hack Lift
Encyclopedia
Upper Hack Lift is a lift bridge
carrying the New Jersey Transit
Main Line
across the Hackensack River
at mile 6.9 between Secaucus, New Jersey
and Lyndhurst
.
It was built by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
in 1958 and completed in March 1959 to serve the Boonton Line and replaced an older swing span from 1901 on the site, which had been damaged by shifting currents. The new single-track lift bridge cost $5,500,000
Following a 1963 route realignment, Erie Main Line service began using the bridge. It was repainted in 1994 to its current turquoise blue
color.
Upper Hack is the only single-track lift bridge in New Jersey. It is visible to motorists on the New Jersey Turnpike
's western extension between Interchanges 15W and 16W.
Remnants of the older swing span are visible just to the north of the current lift span, as concrete abutments and piers remain.
The current drawbridge schedule at Upper Hack (as stated by US Coast Guard, 33 CFR 117.723) allows the bridge to open on signal unless the bridge tender is at the nearby HX Draw
on the Bergen County Line
upstream.
Lift bridge
A vertical-lift bridge or lift bridge is a type of movable bridge in which a span rises vertically while remaining parallel with the deck....
carrying the New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
Main Line
Main Line (NJ Transit)
The Main Line is a rail line owned and operated by New Jersey Transit running from Suffern, New York to Hoboken, New Jersey. It runs daily commuter service and was once the north-south main line of the Erie Lackawanna Railroad...
across the Hackensack River
Hackensack River
The Hackensack River is a river, approximately 45 miles long, in the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, emptying into Newark Bay, a back chamber of New York Harbor. The watershed of the river includes part of the suburban area outside New York City just west of the lower Hudson River,...
at mile 6.9 between Secaucus, New Jersey
Secaucus, New Jersey
Secaucus is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 16,264. Located within the New Jersey Meadowlands, it is the most suburban of the county's municipalities, though large parts of the town are dedicated to light manufacturing, retail, and...
and Lyndhurst
Lyndhurst, New Jersey
Lyndhurst is a township in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 20,554.Lyndhurst was originally formed as Union Township on February 19, 1852 from portions of Harrison Township...
.
It was built by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company was a railroad connecting Pennsylvania's Lackawanna Valley, rich in anthracite coal, to Hoboken, New Jersey, , Buffalo and Oswego, New York...
in 1958 and completed in March 1959 to serve the Boonton Line and replaced an older swing span from 1901 on the site, which had been damaged by shifting currents. The new single-track lift bridge cost $5,500,000
Following a 1963 route realignment, Erie Main Line service began using the bridge. It was repainted in 1994 to its current turquoise blue
Turquoise (color)
Turquoise or is a slightly blueish tone of light green. The color is based on the gem turquoise. The term comes from the French for Turkish.At right is displayed the X11 color named turquoise....
color.
Upper Hack is the only single-track lift bridge in New Jersey. It is visible to motorists on the New Jersey Turnpike
New Jersey Turnpike
The New Jersey Turnpike is a toll road in New Jersey, maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. According to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, the Turnpike is the nation's sixth-busiest toll road and is among one of the most heavily traveled highways in the United...
's western extension between Interchanges 15W and 16W.
Remnants of the older swing span are visible just to the north of the current lift span, as concrete abutments and piers remain.
The current drawbridge schedule at Upper Hack (as stated by US Coast Guard, 33 CFR 117.723) allows the bridge to open on signal unless the bridge tender is at the nearby HX Draw
HX Draw
The HX Draw is a bascule bridge carrying the New Jersey Transit Bergen County Line and Pascack Valley Line across the Hackensack River between Secaucus, New Jersey and East Rutherford...
on the Bergen County Line
Bergen County Line
The Bergen County Line is a commuter rail line and service owned and operated by New Jersey Transit in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The line loops off the Main Line between the Meadowlands and Glen Rock, with trains continuing in either direction along the Main Line...
upstream.