The HX Draw is a

bascule bridge A bascule bridge (also referred to as a drawbridge or a lifting bridge) is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances a span, or leaf, throughout its upward swing to provide clearance for boat traffic. It may be single- o ...

carrying the

New Jersey Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit or NJTransit and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey and portions of the states of New York and Pennsylvania. It ...

Bergen County Line The Bergen County Line is a commuter rail line and service owned and operated by New Jersey Transit in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The line loops off the Main Line between the Meadowlands and Glen Rock, with trains continuing in either d ...

and

Pascack Valley Line The Pascack Valley Line is a commuter rail line operated by the Hoboken Division of New Jersey Transit, in the U.S. states of New Jersey and New York. The line runs north from Hoboken Terminal, through Hudson and Bergen counties in New Jerse ...

across the

Hackensack River The Hackensack River is a river, about 45 miles (72 km) long, in the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, emptying into Newark Bay, a back chamber of New York Harbor. The watershed of the river includes part of the suburban ar ...

between

Secaucus Secaucus ( ) is a town in Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 22,181, an increase of 5,917 (+36.4%) from the 2010 census count of 16,264, which in turn reflected an in ...

and

East Rutherford East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 10,022, an inc ...

. It is commonly nicknamed the "Jack-Knife Bridge" due to its single-leaf bascule mechanism that lifts vertically like a knife blade.

History

The bridge was designed by noted engineer Joseph Strauss, best known as the chief engineer of the

Golden Gate Bridge The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the strait connecting San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean in California, United States. The structure links San Francisco—the northern tip of the San Francisco Peni ...

. Completed in 1911, the HX Draw was one of the first heel trunnion bascule bridges constructed in the United States and originally served as part of the

Erie Railroad The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Northeastern United States, originally connecting Pavonia Terminal in Jersey City, New Jersey, with Lake Erie at Dunkirk, New York. The railroad expanded west to Chicago following its 1865 ...

's main line. The bridge features a Warren through truss design with a steel bascule leaf that opens to allow for maritime traffic on the Hackensack River, a federally navigable waterway. It is operated by NJ Transit, which assumed control after the consolidation of the Erie Lackawanna system into Conrail and later NJ Transit Rail Operations. In 2008, NJ Transit conducted repainting and minor structural updates to maintain functionality and improve corrosion resistance.

Design and Operation

The HX Draw is a single-leaf bascule bridge utilizing a heel trunnion mechanism, meaning the lifting span pivots vertically on a fixed axle mounted near its heel (inboard) end. This design was considered innovative in the early 20th century for rail crossings with limited space. The bridge does not accommodate roadway traffic and is dedicated solely to rail operations. The span remains one of the few operational movable bridges in New Jersey used exclusively for commuter rail, and must open on demand for vessels as required by U.S. Coast Guard regulations.

References

External links

NorthJersey.com: HX Drawbridge

entry for HX Draw

Master Plan: NJ Meadowlands Commission
{{New Jersey Transit Rail Bascule bridges in the United States Railroad bridges in New Jersey Bridges completed in 1911 Bridges in Hudson County, New Jersey Bridges in Bergen County, New Jersey Erie Railroad bridges NJ Transit bridges Bridges over the Hackensack River Steel bridges in the United States Warren truss bridges in the United States

History

Design and Operation

See also

References

External links