Bridge shutdown a reminder of cost of aging infrastructure

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — The perils facing commuters as a tug of war over funding a multibillion-dollar rail project continues were evident as a century-old bridge malfunctioned, suspending train service for hours in and out of New York.

The Portal Bridge just outside Newark became stuck around 4:20 a.m. when workers couldn’t get it to realign back into place after performing maintenance work.

One track reopened around 8 a.m., while a second was back in service about 45 minutes later.

Amtrak board chairman Tony Coscia (COASH’-uh) said a power failure contributed to the problem.

A new bridge is part of the first phase of the Gateway project, along with a new rail tunnel into New York. Local officials have been at loggerheads with the Trump administration over how to foot the estimated $13 billion bill.