Well, it took years of effort, millions of dollars and a 30 hour journey down the Hudson River.

But the first of three massive arches to support the new portal North Bridge arrived today to start construction on replacing the current 114 year old swing bridge that opens for ships and frequently suffers mechanical issues, causing widespread service delays on the Northeast Corridor and headaches for commuters.

As senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan reports, the milestone is a major step for the long awaited gateway program.

Trains rambled past on the old portal.

Swing bridge's workers prepared to move a massive arch span into place on a new portal North Bridge, taking shape right along side on the Hackensack River.

The spans are approximately 400ft long, 85ft tall, and about 55ft wide, and will be sliding into position tomorrow or sit and its final resting place on the pier.

It's the first of three 2500 ton spans to get floated down the river on barges to eventually supports a modern portal.

North bridge A critical segment of the Gateway Tunnel project designed to upgrade train service for rail riders along the Northeast Corridor and it'll be totally reliable.

The marine traffic will go underneath, so you won't have to have, but you know, it's a fixed bridge, won't be opening, and you'll be able to go over, you know, at 90mph.

Go over the bridge right now straight through and right into the new tunnels.

NJ Transit's Kevin Corbett says the $1.8 billion projects coming in on time and under budget, money that's fully obligated.

He considers Portal North a success story that could persuade the incoming second Trump administration and a Republican Congress to keep funding gateway.

They like to see this kind of stuff.

It's critical for the economy.

So I'm cautiously optimistic that, you know, we'll have to get in with rough elbows and get our share.

Meanwhile, we are making sure, though, that we lock down all the money we've got now, that's for sure.

Transit advocates also consider the Gateway Tunnel funding pretty much a lock specifically for the Hudson Tunnel project.

A lot of the agreements and commitments have already been made.

They were made earlier this year.

There is a full funding grant agreement in place.

So what should happen is things should just proceed, according to plan.

The only vulnerability in new Jersey transit and Amtrak and MTA have are are new potential projects like the 23 billion Penn Station South and, the Port Authority Bus Travel 42nd Street project.

The Biden administration committed 70% federal funding to the tunnel projects.

But the first Trump administration did slow walk gateway funding due to perceived political grudges between the president and New York politicians.

Back then, the snark alarmed local business leaders.

The political tone is really high.

Everybody from new Jersey and New York continue to poke the president in the eye and in the chest with all these issues about stopping to holding up the funding.

And, they don't respond real well to being poked in the.

Governor Murphy has taken a more diplomatic approach since 2020, when Trump tweeted they'd met in Bedminster to chat over dinner about the port of North Bridge.

They met again recently to discuss infrastructure and transit.

And he understands the Northeast Corridor really well.

I think those are all good facts.

That's not to say, we think we can sit in our hands and let the grass grow back at the bridge.

Rails and overhead power structures obviously still have to be added, but the last two spans will be floated down the river in coming weeks and installed by February.

And at that point, the bridge will be structurally complete.

The first train will probably cross the Portal North Bridge in 2026.

Governor Murphy says he's already invited President-elect Trump to stop by and cut the ribbon in Carney.

I'm Brenda Flanagan, NJ Spotlight News.