Navigating heavy train traffic and a swamp, crews have reached the halfway point on the $1.7-billion Portal North Bridge across the Hackensack River in New Jersey.

After a three-month funding dispute that halted thousands of state projects, New Jersey politicians agreed to a new 23¢-per-gal gas tax to restart work. Coming the day after the rail crash in Hoboken, the deal has raised some question on infrastructure investment.