Point-No-Point Bridge Replacement Brings Modern Bascule Design to N.J.

By Matt Miller, Contributing Author

Across North America, freight rail systems rely on aging infrastructure that was built for a different era. Movable bridges, many now a century old, are struggling to keep up with modern freight demands. When located in dense urban environments, these bridges present a complex engineering challenge: how to keep marine traffic moving while avoiding delays to rail service in some of North America’s most congested rail corridors.

One such bridge is the Point-No-Point Bridge in Kearny, N.J. In 1901, the steel swing span played a key role in the freight network of a Conrail predecessor, supporting double-track service over the Passaic River to and from an adjacent major intermodal yard now operated by CSX and Norfolk Southern. 

Over time, the bridge’s mechanical reliability declined significantly, and its stone masonry substructure began to fail. After repeated reinforcement attempts, replacement was required for future reliable service.

The Bascule Design

The Point-No-Point Bridge Replacement Project demonstrates how modern movable bridge design — particularly bascule spans — can meet today’s freight, structural and environmental demands, even in highly congested project areas.

The new bridge keeps the original double-track layout but brings a more modern, reliable design to the table. At its core is a single-leaf, through plate girder bascule span, supported by two multi-girder approach spans on the east side and four through plate girder spans to the west. 

The project also includes the replacement of a nearby structure, Bridge 4.31, which crosses over PATH commuter rail tracks. The final arrangement meets modern code requirements for load capacity and fracture-critical steel, while also improving long-term maintainability and navigational clearance.

Several design alternatives were evaluated — including a swing span, vertical lift and fixed span — but the bascule bridge offered the most balanced solution. 

Unlike vertical lift bridges, a bascule design doesn’t require tall towers or moving parts that limit height when the bridge is open, so it preserves full clearance for boats passing underneath. It also lets the team keep, and even slightly widen, the navigable channel without adding extra complexity to the structure. 

On top of that, the bascule option costs less than a vertical lift, making it the most practical and efficient choice for this location.

Engineering in Tight Quarters

Getting this project off the ground in one of the Northeast’s most crowded infrastructure corridors took a significant amount of planning and coordination. 

The site is boxed in by active rail lines including PATH, New Jersey TRANSIT, and Amtrak, as well as major utility infrastructure crossings and the New Jersey Turnpike just upstream. 

Crews navigated tight access points and worked around several major construction projects already underway nearby, like N.J. TRANSIT’s Portal North Bridge, PATH’s floodwall project abutting Conrail’s property and Amtrak’s monopole project replacing high voltage line towers situated within the project limits. 

That made it especially challenging to ship and erect the massive bridge components, which had to be delivered and lifted with precision in tight spaces.

For the foundation work, the team installed 26 drilled shafts for the permanent river piers, each one reinforced with a steel casing and socketed into the underlying bedrock using specialized equipment. Some of these shafts stretched as deep as 75 feet. Building on top of them meant first setting up cofferdams, pouring tremie seals and pumping out water before moving on to the concrete work. 

Cast-in-place and precast elements were used for the piers. The trunnion pier, which was the largest pour involved more than 4,000 cubic yards of concrete. Each of the concrete pours for the river piers fell within the mass concrete parameters, requiring careful thermal monitoring and temperature control to ensure proper curing of the concrete. 

Environmental conditions add another layer of complexity to the project. The Passaic River at this location is part of a Superfund site, an area the Environmental Protection Agency has flagged for cleanup due to contamination from hazardous waste. That means any soil or groundwater displaced during construction had to be carefully handled, tested and disposed of according to strict federal and state regulations. Even upland excavations required extra precautions to safely manage potentially contaminated groundwater.

Furthermore, the west side of the site had challenging ground conditions. Soil studies showed the ground could settle more than 30 inches, so the team installed wick drains and added extra weight — known as surcharge loading — to help the soil settle faster and more evenly before construction moved forward. 

To monitor the ground’s behavior during this process, crews used tools like settlement plates, inclinometers and deformation sensors to track movement in real time.

Constructing the new bridge has required extensive coordination to keep everything running smoothly alongside active rail lines. As construction manager, Modjeski and Masters continues to play a central role in orchestrating collaboration among multiple stakeholders within an exceptionally complex and high-traffic environment. 

The approach span metalwork was delivered by truck and lifted into place using cranes — either from a trestle or a barge, depending on their location. The main bascule span was delivered to the site by barge from the fabrication facility in Russellville, Ala., sailing down the Tombigbee Waterway through the Port of Mobile to the Gulf of America, around Florida and up the East Coast to the project site.

The team is following a step-by-step approach, bracing and bolting each section into place as they progress across the span. For the bascule span, work began with the machinery house and trunnion towers, followed by installation of the bascule girder heel segments and trunnion assemblies, rack assemblies, bascule span toe girder segments and floor system, and, lastly, the counterweight. 

Once structural work is complete, crews will test the mechanical and electrical systems in preparation for the bridge’s commissioning and opening to rail and marine traffic.

The result is a bridge that not only meets the freight needs of today but also is designed for long-term resilience. It incorporates modern materials and control systems while minimizing maintenance demands. Its straightforward design and reliable mechanics help ensure smooth, safe operations for trains and boats.

Lessons for Future Bridge Projects

Like most movable bridge projects, replacing Point-No-Point took more than just technical know-how — it also required advance planning. The team made a point to engage early with regulatory agencies and nearby infrastructure owners, which was key given all the overlapping responsibilities and environmental concerns at the site. 

Regular coordination meetings and a proactive schedule help keep things on track and minimize disruptions as the work moves forward, phase by phase.

The project also showcases the importance of tailoring solutions to site-specific conditions. 

Instead of going with a standard solution, the team chose the bascule design because it offered the right mix of reliability, lower environmental impact and easier long-term upkeep. That kind of flexibility is especially useful in older freight corridors — like those in coastal or industrial areas — where space is tight, vertical clearance is limited, and infrastructure is often shared with other systems.

As the industry moves toward smarter, more resilient infrastructure, the Point-No-Point project points the way forward. It demonstrates how railroads, engineers and contractors can work together to modernize essential freight links while respecting the constraints of dense urban environments. The bridge not only restores operational reliability but also enhances it with new systems built to meet the challenges of the next 100 years.

The collaboration between the groups involved was one of the biggest reasons the Point-No-Point project was successful. With so many players and moving parts, consistent coordination was the only way to minimize risk, stay on schedule and keep the project running smoothly.

Why Movable Bridges Matter

The broader relevance of this project lies in what it reveals about the continued value of movable bridge types. In places where boats need clear passage underneath and there isn’t room for tall structures, bascule bridges are still a smart choice. 

They’re efficient, don’t take up a lot of space, and they’re built to last. That combination makes them a great fit for busy freight corridors where downtime isn’t an option, and maintenance needs to stay manageable.

As more of the country’s freight infrastructure ages out, the lessons learned from the Point-No-Point project are only going to become more important. Thoughtful replacements, the right choice of materials, strong coordination between stakeholders, and adaptable movable bridge designs can all help make sure our rail system keeps up with the demands of the modern era.

Matt Miller, P.E., is a senior project manager at Modjeski and Masters.