Pelham Bay Bridge Replacement

This project will replace the existing 117-year-old Pelham Bay Bridge in the Bronx, NY. The new bridge will increase speeds, reduce service disruptions and support additional Amtrak and Metro-North service.



Quick Facts: Pelham Bay Bridge



Project Status

Environmental Review

Customer Benefits

  • Improved reliability
  • Increased train speeds (from 45 to 70 mph)
  • Reduced conflicts with maritime traffic due to increased vertical clearance and other improvements (up to 70% fewer openings)
  • Increased navigational channel width (from 67 to 100 feet)

 

Estimated Construction Start

2029

Latest Milestone

In November 2023, U.S. DOT announced up to $58.27M in federal funding to complete final design and up to an additional $514.53M in potential future funding for construction.

Upcoming Milestones

Community engagement will kick off in 2024 as part of the NEPA review process.

Project Partners

Amtrak, U.S. DOT Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), New York City Department of Parks and Recreation

Funding Sources

MTA

 

The Pelham Bay Bridge carries Amtrak’s Hell Gate Line and connects with Metro-North’s New Haven Line across the Hutchinson River near where it empties into Pelham Bay.

The proposed Pelham Bay Bridge Project will replace Amtrak’s existing 1907 movable bridge in the Bronx, New York, with a new, movable bridge. While safe to travel on, the existing bridge is reaching the end of its useful life, has limited design speed, a narrow navigable channel and requires frequent openings that disrupt rail operations. The new bridge will increase operating speeds on this section of the Northeast Corridor (NEC) and reduce the number of openings required to accommodate marine traffic. The new bridge will support Amtrak and Metro-North service, upon completion of the MTA’s Penn Station Access Project. This has been identified as a “Major Backlog Project” on the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Northeast Corridor Project Inventory, making it a top priority for federal funding.

Amtrak began the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review process in 2020; however, work was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Significant work resumed in early 2022.

This project is currently in the environmental review phase, which will be followed by permitting, preliminary design and final design. Construction is estimated to begin in 2029.

A map showing Pelham Bay Bridge's location in New York.




Contact Us

 

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For additional information about the Pelham Bay Bridge project, email pelhambay@amtrak.com or call (800) 402-7599 to speak to a member of the project team.

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