Restrictions on rail bridge openings will be made permanent

NEWARK >> One of the New York metro region’s rail bottlenecks is getting a little help from the Coast Guard.

Democratic New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez announced Tuesday that restrictions on when the Portal Bridge can be opened for marine traffic will be made permanent.

The Coast Guard had curtailed rush-hour openings over the last several months on a test basis.

The century-old bridge over New Jersey’s Hackensack River occasionally becomes stuck when it is put back into place, causing hours of delays for rail travelers between Boston and Washington, D.C.

New Jersey is awaiting federal grant money to begin constructing a new bridge.