The $16.1-billion Hudson Tunnel Project (HTP) connecting northern New Jersey and Manhattan recently nailed a record $6.9-billion Federal Transit Administration (FTA) capital investment grant plus $4.1 billion in low-interest loans from the Build America Bureau.
The project calls for a 2.4-mile rail crossing consisting of a two-tube tunnel between North Bergen, New Jersey, and Manhattan. The project also includes the construction of a concrete casing at Hudson Yards, located west of Midtown Manhattan, The Gateway Commission said in a statement.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy called the funding a “significant milestone” to help ensure the “nation’s most vital infrastructure project” successfully advances.
“Thanks to the leadership of our partners, both in Congress and across the Hudson, our federal government will be covering over 70 percent of the total cost of the Gateway Tunnel Project,” Murphy said.
As the main artery of our nation’s economy continues to be pushed to its limits, we are now one step closer to transforming the 100-year-old infrastructure under the Hudson River,” Murphy added, thanking the Biden-Harris Administration for “delivering this critical investment.”
HTP plans also call for stabilizing the riverbed and related infrastructure work, including 9 miles of new track. After the tunnel is completed, the 114-year-old North River Tunnel will be rehabilitated. The North River Tunnel was damaged by Superstorm Sandy in 2012.
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) said the Gateway project is “a labor of love” that has been riddled with setbacks and challenges.
“For a long time now, the Gateway project has been my passion. It’s a labor of love. And after many false starts and obstacles placed in our way, Gateway is full speed ahead with billions from FTA ready to go and be used for critical work and construction,” Schumer said. “Gateway’s future is assured and the most important public works project in America is all systems go.”
The $16 billion commitment needed to complete the HTP includes a record $12 billion in federal funding, the largest federal funding commitment to a rail transportation project to date.
“After decades of delays, the Gateway Hudson Tunnel Project is finally moving forward. This Full Funding Grant Agreement will provide the critical resources needed to deliver an essential piece of infrastructure that will bring millions of visitors to New York every year,” said New York Governor Kathy Hochul.
“I am proud of the work we have done with President Biden, Secretary Buttigieg, Amtrak, and our partners in New Jersey to advance this project and I thank Majority Leader Schumer and the New York Congressional delegation for providing their support.”
