The bridges carry NEC tracks 2 and 3 over the NJ TRANSIT Morris and Essex Line (M&E), the Conrail Center Street Branch and the Port Authority Trans-Hudson Corporation (PATH) Newark-World Trade Center (WTC) line on staggered viaduct structures, giving the bridges their “sawtooth” appearance when viewed from above.

The vulnerability of these bridges negatively impacts rail operations of Amtrak, NJ TRANSIT, Conrail and PATH trains in this heavily trafficked segment of the NEC and surrounding area. Due to structural deficiencies, train speeds are restricted to 60 miles per hour (mph).

The Sawtooth Bridges Replacement Project, a key element of the Gateway Program, will construct three new bridges:

• Bridge #1, which will be built to realign NJ TRANSIT’s M&E Track 5 further north allowing construction of Bridge #2.
• Bridge #2 will be built adjacent to the existing Sawtooth bridges for two additional NEC tracks.
• Bridge #3 will replace the existing structures and carry the two existing NEC tracks.

By replacing the existing Sawtooth Bridges and introducing two additional tracks to this critical section of the NEC, the project will provide continuous, safe, reliable and resilient rail connectivity. The project will reduce service disruptions and restore maximum authorized speed to 90 mph. This improvement will not only enhance on-time performance but also elevate the overall customer experience. The project will help in increasing capacity along the NEC to meet current and future demand.