The long-delayed Hudson River Tunnel, also known as the Gateway Project, will receive a $292 million grant from the federal government. President Joe Biden was joined by secretary of transportation Pete Buttigieg, New York governor Kathy Hochul, and New Jersey governor Phil Murphy to announce the grant in a ceremony held at the West Side Rail Yard in Manhattan.
“All told, this is one of the biggest and most consequential projects in the country, but it’s going to take time,” said President Biden. “It’s a multi-billion effort between the states and the federal government, but we finally have the money and we’re going to get it done, I promise you.”
The Gateway Project grant will be provided through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the country’s largest-ever long-term infrastructure investment representing $550 billion of federal funds. The grant will fund the installation of concrete casing and other structural elements beneath Hudson Yards to support the new tunnel. When complete, the new tunnel will stretch ten miles and provide a direct connection from the Palisades in New Jersey to Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan.
The Gateway Project also includes repairs to an existing train tunnel beneath the Hudson that suffered significant damage during Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Estimates say the tunnels, when in full operation, will support an additional 2,200 trains in and out of New York City each day.
Total project costs are estimated at $16.1 billion. The project is also expected to create around 72,000 jobs.
“I’m going to take advantage of this almost $300 million in funding to be a catalyst to get this project going—the first demonstrative step to make this historic project a reality,” said governor Hochul. “And let’s not forget, we love infrastructure, moving people, all this. Seventy-two thousand jobs are associated with this project.”
Governor Hochul Joins President Biden to Highlight Federal Investment in the Hudson Tunnel Project
An Amtrak train on display at the Hudson River Tunnel project ceremony
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So we’re looking at a final cost of $32 Billion and mostly finished by 2038?
When Chris Christie, then Governor of New Jersey, canceled the project in 2010, nothing was done to find a way to move forward. This was a complete failure of political leadership. Noe 13 years later, the project is starting up again.
And why does the project now include a 10 mile tunnel? The current Hudson River tunnels aren’t 10 miles long.
It’s about time! What took so long?
For one, Chris Christie made it take so long. He stopped construction when he was Gov.
NJ Gov. Chris Christie torpedoed the project in 2010 when he turned down $3 billion federal grant. The price tag then was about $10 billion, and it would be finished or finishing by now.
Not the same project but a similar concept. Gateway is a superior program to ARC.
Thanks for the correction—ARC was different plan! But to address same problem—that existing 100+ year old tunnel is in dire shape!
A curious fact I read about the old rail tunnels was that they move up and down with the tides. There was considerable concern about this when they were constructed and thought given to pilings, but this was not done. It would be nice if the new tunnels would have 4 tracks in case the old ones have problems.
I have a feeling you already know this, but…
The plan is when the new tunnels are done, the old ones will be shut down (not sure if one at a time or both at the same time) for a massive overhaul. Hopefully, whatever issues do exist can be fixed and we’ll have four tracks going across the Hudson.