Sawtooth Bridges, Railroad bridge complex in Kearny, New Jersey, US.
The Sawtooth Bridges are a railroad complex in Kearny, New Jersey, consisting of two structures that carry Northeast Corridor tracks over multiple rail lines below. These viaducts connect Newark Penn Station to Secaucus Junction and handle both passenger and freight rail traffic throughout the day.
The Pennsylvania Railroad built these bridges in 1907 as part of the New York Tunnel Extension project to link New Jersey with Manhattan by rail. This work was essential to establishing direct passenger routes across the Hudson River corridor.
These bridges represent a critical intersection point where four major rail systems converge: Amtrak, New Jersey Transit, PATH, and Conrail freight operations.
Current speed restrictions on these bridges limit train operations to lower velocities during peak travel times. The structures are best viewed from nearby railroad stations or embankments where the geometry becomes visible.
The staggered arrangement of these viaducts creates a distinctive zigzag pattern visible from above, which inspired their Sawtooth name. This design was an innovative solution for crossing multiple rail lines in a constrained location without extensive land acquisition.
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