NJ Transit has settled the lawsuit with plaintiff Mohammad Nasim over the Portal North Bridge project. The details of the lawsuit are not finally out after the parties not disclosing anything about the settlement. Let’s understand what the lawsuit was about and the current situation.
NJ Transit Portal North Bridge lawsuit Settlement
Mohammad Nasim filed a lawsuit against the NJ Transit Corporation in 2024, alleging he was fired unlawfully. The lawsuit alleged that he raised concerns regarding the new Portal North bridge design and safety, but his warnings were ignored by the officials, and later, he was fired in 2023.
The company and project operators hired Mahammed Nasim as Chief of Construction Management in 2021 at NJ Transit. He worked as the construction manager for the North Portal Bridge replacement project till October 2023.
The NJ Transit Portal North Bridge lawsuit was settled earlier this year, in January 2025, though details of the settlement were not made public immediately. The NJ Transit admits the settlement in May 2025 with northjersey.com, and now we have some information about the lawsuit.
What is the NJ Transit Portal Bridge project?
The NJ Transit North Portal Bridge project was $2.3 billion project replacing the old Bridge over the Hackensack River with a modern bridge that will not need to open and close for river traffic. This is one of the biggest projects handled by the NJ Transit and Amtrak.
The bridge is an important link between the territories of Newark, Penn Station, New Jersey, and New York; however, the two-track movable swing caused delays, especially during maritime traffic or when it malfunctions.
The project will replace the aging bridge with a modern design where the bridge will be above 50 feet above the river and will span around 2.5 miles of the Northeast Corridor. The project will eliminate the movable parts and reduce the delay and maintenance risks.
What were Mohammad Nasim’s concerns over the project?
As per the lawsuit and the reports, Mohammad Nasim, who has 30 years of experience in project delivery, has raised the following concerns over the Portal North Bridge project:
- Uneven Tracks: The plaintiff said he raised concerns over the track settlement, which was done overboard, that could create problems related to safety.
- Affecting the river navigation: The plaintiffs say the new project might affect the river navigation as per the new design, which is concerning.
- Close to the current bridge: The plaintiff claimed that the new project construction is too near the existing rail corridor, which can create many issues.
The former NJ Transit official has reported all the issues to his superiors and the company through emails to the boss, but they ignored his concerns, shut him down, and later they terminated from his work.
What was the North Portal Bridge settlement amount?
The lawsuit against the NJ Transit was filed in the US District Court of the NJ Superior Court, but it was later assigned to the state court last year. The federal court later sent the case to the state court and ended its proceedings in 2024.
According to the details, the defendant agreed to pay a settlement amount of $450,000 to settle the matter and provide compensation to Nasim. However, they did not admit any wrongdoing related to the plaintiff’s claims. The specific terms of the settlement have not been disclosed by any party, apart from the stated settlement amount.
When will the Portal Bridge project be complete?
With the lawsuit, many were concerned about its effect on the project. According to the reports, the lawsuit has not affected the timeline, so as per the project timeline, the first set of tracks will be in operation by the end of 2026 and the project will be completed in 2027.
Though the lawsuit has not affected the timeline of the Portal North Bridge project, it has raised concerns over public safety as per the risks highlighted by the former engineer.
The defendants, NJ Transit and others, have settled the lawsuit with no admission to the plaintiff’s claims. The lawsuit is finalized, but the wrongful termination and safety concerns are major concerns for the project management.