Amtrak awards contracts for Sawtooth Bridges replacement

Amtrak has awarded pre-construction and management contracts for its Sawtooth Bridges replacement project in New Jersey. Skanska, a Walsh and Herzog joint venture, will conduct pre-construction activities, and Sawtooth Partners, a joint venture of STV and AECOM, will provide project and construction management services.

Originally constructed in 1907, the Sawtooth Bridges currently support more than 400 daily trains operated by Amtrak and New Jersey Transit on the Northeast Corridor. The replacement includes the construction of three new bridges along a 1.9-mile corridor in Kearny, New Jersey, between Newark Penn Station and Secaucus Junction, STV officials said in a press release.

The replacement bridges will double the current track capacity on the most congested 10-mile section of the Northeast Corridor, allowing for train speeds to be increased from 60 miles per hour to 90 miles per hour, and improving reliability. The replacements will be delivered in multiple phases. 

The Sawtooth Bridges replacement project is part of the larger Gateway Program, an ongoing investment effort to improve railroad reliability and capacity along the Northeast Corridor.