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Heel Pain & Plantar Fasciitis Treatment in Old Bridge, NJ | NJ Sports Spine and Wellness
You know the moment. Your alarm goes off, you swing your legs over the side of the bed, put your feet on the floor - and the second you shift any weight onto your heel, a sharp, stabbing pain shoots up from the bottom of your foot. You stand there for a few seconds trying not to hobble to the bathroom. After a minute or two of walking around, the pain fades to a dull ache and you mostly forget about it... until the next time you've been sitting for a while. Then it's right back.
If that's your morning - or your afternoon, after a long meeting - you probably already have a pretty good guess what's going on. Plantar fasciitis is the single most common cause of heel pain in adults, and it has a signature pattern that almost everyone who has it can describe inside the first minute of a visit.
The problem is that knowing what you have isn't the same as knowing how to fix it. Most people cycle through a few rounds of Dr.-Googled stretches, a new pair of sneakers, and a couple of weeks of taking it easy - and the pain either doesn't improve, or it comes right back the moment they return to normal life.
At NJ Sports Spine and Wellness in Old Bridge, NJ, heel pain and plantar fasciitis are two of the most common reasons patients come through our door. We've seen hundreds of cases - from the weekend runner who's been hurting for three weeks to the nurse who's been dealing with it for two years. Here's what we can tell you up front: this is treatable. And for the overwhelming majority of patients, it's treatable without surgery - even the chronic cases. Let's talk about what's actually going on and what works.
- Heel Pain & Plantar Fasciitis Treatment in Old Bridge, NJ
- Heel Pain & Plantar Fasciitis Treatment in Old Bridge, NJ | NJ Sports Spine and Wellness
- What Is Plantar Fasciitis?
- Other Causes of Heel Pain We Evaluate For
- Symptoms That Mean It's Time to Get Evaluated
- Our Approach to Heel Pain and Plantar Fasciitis Treatment
- Why Patients Choose NJ Sports Spine and Wellness for Heel Pain
- What to Expect at Your First Visit
- Book Your Heel Pain or Plantar Fasciitis Appointment in Old Bridge, NJ
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Plantar Fasciitis?
The plantar fascia is a thick band of connective tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot, from your heel bone to the base of your toes. It acts like a bowstring, supporting your arch and absorbing shock every time you take a step. When it's working the way it should, you don't think about it. When it's irritated - from overuse, repetitive strain, a sudden jump in activity, or poor foot mechanics - it develops micro-tears and inflammation where it attaches to your heel bone. That's where the pain comes from: not the heel bone itself, but the tissue that pulls on it with every step.
The morning pain has a simple mechanism behind it. While you sleep, your foot rests in a pointed position, which lets the plantar fascia shorten. When you stand up and load that first step, the fascia stretches suddenly - and if it has micro-tears, that first stretch hurts. A few minutes of walking warms the tissue and the pain eases. Sit at your desk for an hour, and the cycle repeats.
The pattern is predictable. The treatment, unfortunately, is not - because what works depends on why your plantar fascia got irritated in the first place, and how long it's been going on.
Other Causes of Heel Pain We Evaluate For
Plantar fasciitis gets most of the blame for heel pain, but it's not the only cause - and treating plantar fasciitis when the real problem is a stress fracture is a good way to make things significantly worse. Other conditions that can present as heel pain include:
- Heel spurs - bone growths on the heel bone that often accompany plantar fasciitis but aren't always the actual source of pain
- Achilles tendonitis - pain at the back of the heel where the Achilles tendon attaches
- Insertional Achilles tendinopathy - chronic degeneration of the Achilles where it meets the heel
- Haglund's deformity - a bony enlargement at the back of the heel, sometimes called "pump bump"
- Retrocalcaneal bursitis - inflammation of the fluid sac between the Achilles and the heel bone
- Calcaneal stress fracture - a small crack in the heel bone, usually from overuse
- Fat pad syndrome - thinning or damage to the natural cushion under the heel
- Tarsal tunnel syndrome - nerve compression that can mimic plantar fasciitis
- Sever's disease - growth-plate-related heel pain in active kids and young teens
Pain location and timing usually tell us a lot. Plantar fasciitis hurts at the bottom of the heel, worst first thing in the morning. Achilles-related pain hurts at the back of the heel. Stress fractures tend to hurt constantly, worsen with every step, and are tender when you squeeze the heel from the sides. Getting the diagnosis right is the first job - the treatments for each of these are different.
Symptoms That Mean It's Time to Get Evaluated
Common signs it's time to come in:
- Sharp pain in the heel with your first steps in the morning
- Stabbing heel pain after long periods of sitting or resting
- Heel pain that eases after a few minutes of walking, then returns later in the day
- Bottom-of-heel pain that's tender to press on
- Heel pain when walking on hard surfaces or barefoot
- Arch pain alongside the heel pain
- A heel that aches after exercise, even if it felt fine during
- Heel pain that's been going on for more than two or three weeks
- Pain at the back of the heel that gets worse with stretching or going uphill
- Heel pain that's started limiting how long you can comfortably stand or walk
- Heel pain that improved before and has now come back
If you've already been rolling a frozen water bottle, stretching every morning, and wearing new sneakers for a month with no improvement, you're past the point where home treatment alone is likely to fix this. That's the moment to come in.
Why Plantar Fasciitis Sometimes Doesn't Heal on Its Own
A lot of plantar fasciitis stories follow the same arc: pain starts, you rest, it improves, you return to your routine - and a few weeks later it's back. That cycle can repeat for months until rest stops helping and the pain becomes something you live with.
Here's what's actually happening. Plantar fasciitis starts as an inflammatory problem, but if the fascia keeps getting stressed without fully healing, the body eventually stops trying to repair it and starts laying down degenerative tissue instead - a condition technically called plantar fasciosis. At that point, anti-inflammatories stop doing much because inflammation isn't the main issue anymore. Degenerated tissue is - and degenerated tissue doesn't heal on its own. It needs a targeted stimulus to re-trigger the repair process, which is the piece most home-treatment approaches can't deliver.
Our Approach to Heel Pain and Plantar Fasciitis Treatment
The goal is simple: resolve the pain, rebuild the tissue, and fix whatever caused the problem - so it doesn't come back six months later. For most patients, that's achievable without surgery.
Non-Surgical Treatment Options
Shockwave Therapy
This is our go-to treatment for chronic plantar fasciitis, and it's one of the main reasons patients travel to our Old Bridge, NJ office. Extracorporeal shockwave therapy delivers high-energy acoustic waves into the damaged tissue, breaking down the degenerative tissue and triggering the body's natural repair response. For patients who've been dealing with plantar fasciitis for months or years and haven't gotten anywhere with stretching and over-the-counter insoles, shockwave is often what finally resolves it. Clinical literature puts success rates for chronic plantar fasciitis in the 70–85% range, and our experience tracks with that.
Targeted Physical Therapy
Plantar fasciitis isn't purely a foot problem. It's usually also a calf problem, often a hip problem, and sometimes a posture problem. Tight calves pull on the plantar fascia every step you take. Weak glutes change how you load your feet. Our in-house physical therapy team works the whole kinetic chain, not just the spot that hurts - which is the piece that keeps plantar fasciitis from coming back after you feel better.
Custom Orthotics
The right orthotic does two things at once: it supports the arch so the plantar fascia isn't bearing the full load, and it corrects any biomechanical issue (flat feet, high arches, overpronation) that was quietly driving the problem. Drugstore insoles help some patients and do nothing for others. Custom orthotics, fitted to your actual foot and gait, are a different tool entirely.
LiteCure Class IV Laser Therapy
Therapeutic laser delivers deep, photobiomodulating light into the plantar fascia to reduce inflammation, speed tissue repair, and calm pain signaling. We frequently pair laser with shockwave for chronic cases, and use it on its own for earlier-stage plantar fasciitis where inflammation is still the driving factor.
Manual Therapy and Soft-Tissue Work
Hands-on techniques, instrument-assisted soft-tissue mobilization (IASTM), and cupping release restrictions in the fascia, calf, and intrinsic foot muscles. For patients with very tight posterior chains, this is often what makes stretching effective for the first time.
Night Splints and Taping
A night splint keeps the foot in a neutral position while you sleep so the plantar fascia can't shorten overnight - which dramatically reduces the morning pain that defines this condition. Kinesiology taping gives the arch temporary support during activity and can make day-to-day movement much more tolerable while the tissue heals.
Activity and Footwear Guidance
We'll tell you specifically what to stop doing, what to keep doing, and what shoes actually fit your foot type. Specific changes based on your case - not generic "rest more" advice.
Minimally Invasive Surgery (Rarely Needed)
A small percentage of patients don't respond to a full course of conservative care. For those cases, we'll discuss minimally invasive plantar fascia release - a procedure using a small incision with less tissue disruption than traditional open surgery.
Honest framing: most patients who've been told they need surgery for plantar fasciitis haven't actually exhausted their non-surgical options. Before any surgical conversation, we make sure shockwave, laser, properly fitted orthotics, and thorough physical therapy have all been tried. Surgery is a last-resort tool - not a first-line one.
Why Patients Choose NJ Sports Spine and Wellness for Heel Pain
A Specialist-Level Approach to a Condition Most Generalists Undertreat
Plantar fasciitis gets treated very differently depending on who you see. A generalist might hand you a pair of insoles, tell you to stretch, and send you on your way. We treat this condition frequently enough that we've built a specific, multi-tool approach - and we've invested in the technology (shockwave, LiteCure laser, custom orthotics) that makes that approach work.
Shockwave Therapy On-Site
Not every practice has it. For chronic plantar fasciitis, it's one of the most effective treatments in use today - and because it's in-house, we can start treatment the day you come in.
Same-Day Appointments
Nobody wants to wait three weeks when they're in pain. We offer same-day appointments whenever the schedule allows.
A Multidisciplinary Team Under One Roof
Plantar fasciitis almost always has contributing factors beyond the foot. Our podiatrist, physical therapists, chiropractors, and soft-tissue specialists all work in the same building, on the same chart, toward the same plan. If your heel pain is really being driven by tight calves and a hip restriction, we don't need to refer you out to figure that out.
A Treatment Plan With an Actual Finish Line
We track progress, adjust what isn't working, and don't keep you on the schedule forever. The goal is to get you back to running, standing, walking, or working - then to stop seeing you except for the occasional check-in.
What to Expect at Your First Visit
Your first visit to our Old Bridge, NJ office is a real conversation and a thorough exam. We'll ask when the pain started, what makes it better or worse, what shoes you wear, what activities you do, and what you've already tried. Then we'll examine your feet - palpating the plantar fascia to confirm the pain source, checking your calves and Achilles, watching your gait, and assessing your arch structure. If imaging would clarify anything (ruling out a stress fracture, for instance), we can usually do it on the spot.
From there, we'll explain what we think is happening in plain English and walk you through the treatment plan. You'll leave knowing what we're going to do, what you're going to do, and roughly how long it should take to feel real improvement.
Book Your Heel Pain or Plantar Fasciitis Appointment in Old Bridge, NJ
If you've been dealing with heel pain for weeks or months and home treatment isn't cutting it, let's take a look. Plantar fasciitis is treatable, and for the vast majority of patients we can resolve it without surgery.
Call our Old Bridge, NJ office at (908) 866-7246 to schedule. Same-day appointments available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Every case is different, and your provider will give you a specific timeline at your evaluation. Acute cases caught early and treated with the right combination of orthotics, stretching, and laser or manual therapy often resolve in a matter of weeks. Chronic cases that have been around for months or years typically need a longer arc, and shockwave therapy is usually part of the plan. Most patients notice meaningful improvement early in treatment, even when full resolution takes longer.
There's some discomfort during treatment - most patients describe it as a strong pulsing or tapping sensation rather than sharp pain - and each session runs about 10 to 15 minutes. We can adjust intensity based on your tolerance, and most patients find it very manageable.
Cortisone injections can reduce inflammation and provide short-term pain relief, but they don't address the underlying tissue degeneration in chronic cases. Repeated cortisone in the plantar fascia can also weaken the tissue and increase rupture risk. We rarely recommend them as a primary treatment. Shockwave and laser therapy work on the healing process directly, which is why the results tend to last.
Almost certainly not. The large majority of plantar fasciitis cases resolve with conservative treatment when the treatment is the right match for severity and duration. Surgery is a last-resort option for a small subset of patients who haven't responded to a full course of non-surgical care. If you've been told you need surgery and haven't tried shockwave therapy or properly done physical therapy yet, it's worth a second opinion.
They're related but not the same. A heel spur is a bone growth on the heel bone - often visible on X-ray - that forms in response to long-term plantar fascia strain. Plenty of people have heel spurs and no pain; others have classic plantar fasciitis without any spur on imaging. The spur itself usually isn't what hurts. The inflamed or degenerated plantar fascia is. Treatment targets the fascia, not the spur.
Latest News in Old Bridge, NJ
Woodbridge, Old Bridge Young People Chosen For Fellowship To Study AI
Carly Baldwinhttps://patch.com/new-jersey/woodbridge/woodbridge-old-bridge-young-people-chosen-state-fellowship-study-ai
Laila Diaz, of Woodbridge, and Hassan Ibrahim, of Old Bridge, were selected out of more than 250 applicants.WOODBRIDGE, NJ — Two young people from Woodbridge and Old Bridge were chosen for a fellowship from the state of New Jersey to study AI.They are Laila Diaz and Hassan Ibrahim, both students at Middlesex County community college. Diaz lives in the Sewaren section of Wodbridge, and Ibrahim lives in Old Bridge.They were selected for the AI for Impact New Jersey Community College Fellowship, a semester-long lear...
Laila Diaz, of Woodbridge, and Hassan Ibrahim, of Old Bridge, were selected out of more than 250 applicants.
WOODBRIDGE, NJ — Two young people from Woodbridge and Old Bridge were chosen for a fellowship from the state of New Jersey to study AI.
They are Laila Diaz and Hassan Ibrahim, both students at Middlesex County community college. Diaz lives in the Sewaren section of Wodbridge, and Ibrahim lives in Old Bridge.
They were selected for the AI for Impact New Jersey Community College Fellowship, a semester-long learning program provided by the New Jersey State Office of Innovation.
They were chosen out of more than 250 applications. Both are studying computer science.
They will be tasked with exploring how to use artificial intelligence (AI) in the public sector/government. The fellowship pairs community college students with professional advisors at the New Jersey State Office of Innovation, providing hands-on experience in applying AI to address government challenges and drive innovation in the public sector.
The students will receive stipends from the state.
Ibrahim, of Old Bridge, said he applied for the fellowship because of his interest in using artificial intelligence in an ethical way. His current project is working with a machine-learning model to streamline IT ticketing.
“I was interested in seeing how AI systems work in a regulated, government setting,” said Ibrahim. “There are negative effects to AI with image generation usage, and that lack of consent. I wanted to be able to work with the technology respectfully to see how it can make a positive impact.”
Diaz's current project is creating an AI Slack bot for engineers to search through data easily and find source citations.
“I would love to specialize in cybersecurity working for the government,” said Diaz. “I feel like working in government is like working for my community.”
Middlesex College is a public, two-year institution of higher education located in the heart of New Jersey. With a main campus in Edison and centers in New Brunswick and Perth Amboy, Middlesex College offers over 90 degree and certificate programs for its more than 10,000 students.
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Regular NJ Transit rail schedules resume with new Portal North Bridge open
Gothamisthttps://gothamist.com/news/regular-nj-transit-rail-schedules-resume-with-new-portal-north-bridge-open
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donationsNJ Transit commuter rails are back on their regular weekday schedules after a month of disruptions tied to opening the new Portal North Bridge, a critical piece of infrastructure for trains crossing the Hackensack River.The new bridge is a yearslong project to replace the old Portal Bridge, built in 1910 by the Pennsylvania Railroad company. The crossing is shared by NJ Transit and Amtrak trains, and in 2020, the Gateway Development Commission approved a $2.3 billion project t...
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
NJ Transit commuter rails are back on their regular weekday schedules after a month of disruptions tied to opening the new Portal North Bridge, a critical piece of infrastructure for trains crossing the Hackensack River.
The new bridge is a yearslong project to replace the old Portal Bridge, built in 1910 by the Pennsylvania Railroad company. The crossing is shared by NJ Transit and Amtrak trains, and in 2020, the Gateway Development Commission approved a $2.3 billion project to replace the old bridge.
Monday is the first official weekday of regular service on the new bridge, but the Garden State transit agency scrambled to use it during last Friday’s morning rush hour after overhead wire issues on Amtrak jammed up service on the old bridge. Crews were able to get limited service running on the new bridge, partially alleviating the commute meltdown.
Unlike the old bridge, which frequently gets stuck when swinging open to let river traffic through, the new Portal North Bridge is tall enough to allow boats and barges to pass without having to open. Trains will also be able to travel up to 90 mph on the new bridge, compared to 60 mph on the old one, according to NJ Transit.
The Portal North Bridge is one of the first steps in the multiphased Gateway megaproject to improve service to Manhattan Penn Station. The megaproject includes building new Hudson River tunnels along the Northeast Corridor.
Still, the completion of the first phase of the Portal Bridge “cutover” project, as transit officials call it, hasn’t solved all of NJ Transit’s service issues. Early Monday, the agency reported up to 20-minute delays into and out of New York Penn Station due to a disabled train near Newark.
And commuters said they suffered for a month with limited train schedules and constant delays while officials finetuned the final work on the new bridge.
“There was extensive delays,” Adelso Callado, 44, said at Penn Station last week, waiting for his train back to New Jersey during the afternoon rush hour. “I have friends that take the New Jersey Transit daily, and it was chaotic.”
A second phase of the cutover project is planned for the fall, when the old bridge will be fully phased out, according to transit officials. The old bridge carried 450 daily Amtrak and NJ Transit trains and 200,000 daily riders, the two railroads said. Officials said the new bridge, alongside the eventual new Hudson River tunnels, will double rail capacity between Newark and New York City.
New N.J. train bridge opens before schedule after power issue shuts old one
Evan Simko-Bednarskihttps://www.nydailynews.com/2026/03/13/new-new-jersey-train-bridge-opens-before-schedule-power-issue-shuts-old-one/
New Jersey commuters got to ride the newly constructed Portal North Bridge days ahead of schedule on Friday — after damaged power lines unexpectedly shut down the track that NJ Transit and Amtrak trains have been using all month.Several of the poles that hold overhead power lines above the tracks of the century-old Portal Bridge — which carries the Northeast Corridor line of Amtrak and NJ Transit over the Hackensack River in the Meadowlands — were found to be bent early Friday morning, an Amtrak spokesman told the Da...
New Jersey commuters got to ride the newly constructed Portal North Bridge days ahead of schedule on Friday — after damaged power lines unexpectedly shut down the track that NJ Transit and Amtrak trains have been using all month.
Several of the poles that hold overhead power lines above the tracks of the century-old Portal Bridge — which carries the Northeast Corridor line of Amtrak and NJ Transit over the Hackensack River in the Meadowlands — were found to be bent early Friday morning, an Amtrak spokesman told the Daily News.
The bent poles kept trains from making consistent contact with the power lines. As a result, around 5:45 a.m., service was moved over to the bridge’s newly built replacement, the Portal North Bridge.
Service between Newark and New York City typically operates on two tracks — one eastbound and one westbound — running through the Meadowlands. For the past four weeks, as crews have worked to connect the new Portal North Bridge to the rail line, service has been traveling along just one track of the old bridge in both directions.
Full service is still set to be restored on Sunday — when the new Portal North Bridge had originally been scheduled to open — with westbound trains using the new bridge and eastbound trains continuing to use the old bridge.
NJ Transit and Amtrak both confirmed that service Friday was now operating on one track in both directions on the new bridge, while repairs are made on the old one.
“We are currently working with our partners at NJ TRANSIT to make the necessary catenary pole repairs on the old Portal Bridge,” read a statement shared by Amtrak spokesman Jason Abrams. “We apologize to both (groups) of our customers for the inconvenience, which just goes to show the importance of the new bridge and not having to rely on 116-year-old infrastructure.”
NJ Transit, Amtrak service back on track after Friday's disruption
Eyewitness Newshttps://abc7ny.com/post/nj-transit-amtrak-back-track-portal-bridge-overhead-wire-issues/18713615/
NEW JERSEY (WABC) -- Amtrak and NJ Transit trains are operating on or close to schedule into and out of Penn Station New York on Saturday.Due to damaged Amtrak overhead wire issues at the old Portal Bridge, Amtrak and NJ Transit riders experienced delays and cancellations almost the entire day on Friday.NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri spoke with Eyewitness News about the optics of officials celebrating the completion of work on the new Portal Bridge on Thursday, only to face delays and cancellations the next morning....
NEW JERSEY (WABC) -- Amtrak and NJ Transit trains are operating on or close to schedule into and out of Penn Station New York on Saturday.
Due to damaged Amtrak overhead wire issues at the old Portal Bridge, Amtrak and NJ Transit riders experienced delays and cancellations almost the entire day on Friday.
NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri spoke with Eyewitness News about the optics of officials celebrating the completion of work on the new Portal Bridge on Thursday, only to face delays and cancellations the next morning.
"No one was spiking the football yesterday because the bridge is not supposed to open until Monday morning, let's be crystal clear about that," he said. "The fact that the bridge was open ahead of schedule was a special moment."
He said it was important to note that, "Amtrak discovered delays not on the new bridge, but on the old bridge, there was a bent catenary pole that Amtrak is repairing right now."
Kolluri said the first passenger train ran over the new bridge just before 6 a.m. Friday morning. He said Friday morning's problems were not NJ Transit's fault.
"First of all, it's an Amtrak problem. I appreciate what you are saying. No one is making excuses. Amtrak is fixing the problem because it's their corridor, and NJ Transit happens to run their trains on it," he said.
As for what he had to say to customers dealing with another nightmare commute, he said: "Nothing is more important to me than that they have a safe and efficient ride."
The new portal bridge officially opens for service on Monday, but it was being used on Friday to help get the commute back on track.
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Full NJ Transit service to resume with new Portal North Bridge opening
Aaron Ginsburghttps://www.6sqft.com/full-nj-transit-service-to-resume-with-new-portal-north-bridge-opening/
The project in 2024. Photo courtesy of AmtrakSome good news for New Jersey Transit riders: Full service to and from New York City will resume Sunday as the agency finishes replacing the century-old Portal Bridge. Service has been cut by 50 percent since February 15, while rail operations switched from the old bridge to the new $1.5 billion Portal North Bridge over the Hackensack River. A key part of the Gateway Project, the bridge will improve service by allowing trains to travel up to 90 mph, up from the previous 60 mph limit, accord...
The project in 2024. Photo courtesy of Amtrak
Some good news for New Jersey Transit riders: Full service to and from New York City will resume Sunday as the agency finishes replacing the century-old Portal Bridge. Service has been cut by 50 percent since February 15, while rail operations switched from the old bridge to the new $1.5 billion Portal North Bridge over the Hackensack River. A key part of the Gateway Project, the bridge will improve service by allowing trains to travel up to 90 mph, up from the previous 60 mph limit, according to Gothamist.
The new bridge is taller, so it won’t need to open for river traffic. The old bridge had to open and close dozens of times a year and would often get stuck, requiring workers to hammer the pieces back into place.
Regular weekday and weekend rail schedules will resume Sunday, March 15. Friday, March 13, will be the last day cross-honored tickets will be accepted on PATH and the NY Waterway Ferry. Starting Saturday, customers on the Morris & Essex and Montclair-Boonton lines with monthly passes to Hoboken will have their passes honored for travel to New York’s Penn Station.
“Today marks a historic step forward for New Jersey’s transportation future. For decades, the old Portal Bridge has been a source of delays and frustration for the hundreds of thousands of commuters and travelers who rely on the Northeast Corridor every day,” New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said.
“With the first train now crossing the new Portal North Bridge, we are delivering a modern, reliable piece of infrastructure that will strengthen our economy, improve the daily commute and support the entire Northeast Corridor.”
While normal service will resume, only eastbound trains will use the new bridge. Westbound trains will continue to use the old bridge until fall. Officials said leaving the old tracks in place will prevent delays during the expected transit ridership surge for the World Cup this summer.
On Friday, NJ Transit experienced significant service delays during the morning rush as a faulty overhead wire near the Portal Bridge forced trains to stop between Newark and Manhattan, according to CBS News. To bypass the problem, some trains were diverted onto the new Portal Bridge two days ahead of schedule.
Kris Kolluri, president and CEO of NJ Transit, told CBS News New York that he “thanked god” the new bridge was ready following the disruption.
“Thank god we had the bridge ready to go this morning because Amtrak called us at 4 o’clock this morning saying there was a catenary pole near the old portal bridge that had to be repaired,” Kolluri said. “So we were able to get service, limited service, up and running on the brand new bridge two days ahead of schedule. So thank god for that, even though it’s Friday the 13th.”
Kolluri attributed the problem to Amtrak, whose tracks NJ Transit uses along the Northeast Corridor, noting the railroad’s “100-year-old infrastructure” and emphasizing the importance of the new Portal Bridge in preventing future disruptions.
The new bridge was approved by the Gateway Development Commission in 2020, which is also leading the Hudson River tunnel project. President Donald Trump signed off on federal funding for the bridge during his first term, though since returning to the White House, he has sought to block funding for the tunnel project.
Crews had been preparing for the project for months. The work required 40,000 man-hours and involved lifting pre-constructed track panels into place to connect with existing tracks. Teams worked in two shifts, seven days a week, with 70 to 90 workers on each shift.
During the service reduction, NJ Transit riders had to rely on a mix of supplementary routes and cross-honored services, including shuttles to Hoboken and the NYC Ferry.
Find out more about regular NJ Transit service schedules here.
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