The average bridge clearance of 20 feet (6.1 m) (depending on the tide) requires it to swing open to allow maritime traffic to pass underneath it.

At other times, the bridge opens on signal if a vessel gives two-hour notice, also in the hours leading up to peak periods, which can affect train schedules.

After the wedges are withdrawn, the center-bearing supports the structure as the bridge is swung open and returns it to its closed position once the river traffic has passed through one or both of the navigation channels.

As of 2015[update], the only regularly scheduled commercial traffic on the river was a barge transporting sludge from the Bergen County Utilities Authority sewage treatment plant in Little Ferry to the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission plant in Newark.

[20][21] One report in 2019 estimated that the North River Tubes and the Portal Bridge contributed to 2,000 hours of delays between 2014 and 2018.

NJ Transit engineers believe that the 13kV overhead electrical wires overheated, sending shards of metal towards the creosote-covered wooden fenders at the base of the bridge.

[26] On August 4, 2014, the bridge caught on fire, interrupting rail traffic for half an hour.

[15] According to several officials, the bridge is considered a "choke-point" which reduces the potential speed and capacity of the line.

These officials include U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (NJ);[2] Drew Galloway, Amtrak Assistant V.P.

[31] On January 28, 2010, the federal funds were released as a TIGER grant[32] as part of a larger package of $112 million for the entire Northeast Corridor.

[1] The proposed Portal North Bridge would be a fixed span rising over 50 feet (15 m) above mean water level, and would allow train speeds of at least 90 mph (140 km/h).

[2] The new bridge would be a part of the Amtrak Gateway Project—itself a partial replacement of the Access to the Region's Core—estimated to cost $13.5 billion.

[36][37][38] Preliminary site-preparation work for one span, Portal Bridge North, began in October 2017 and was expected to be complete in 2019.

[50][51] As of 2016[update], the expected schedule was for engineering phase to begin in 2017 and revenue service to start in 2024.

[54] The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) approved the Environmental Impact Statement for the replacement bridge in August 2017.

[39] Jersey City, which owns a 14-acre (5.7 ha) parcel originally earmarked for preservation and recreation, will sell it to make way for construction of the bridge.

[62] In September 2019, NJ Transit submitted a revised plan to the federal government clarifying the "local" contribution, which includes funding from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Amtrak.

[63] On February 10, 2020, the replacement project was upgraded to "medium-high" priority by the FTA, thereby becoming eligible for funding under the Capital Investment Grants Program.

[64][6] Despite his skepticism of the Gateway Program, President Donald Trump signaled that he would not stand in the way of the Portal Bridge Replacement Project after dinner with New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy.

On May 13, 2024, Amtrak and NJ Transit announced that the progress of construction has reached the halfway milestone towards completion.