By lyndamyer
In order to providing almost half the cost of the new river crossing between New York and New Jersey, the US federal government has to award US$6.88bn to the Hudson Tunnel Project, which due to entering to the engineering phase of the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Capital Investment Grants (CIG) Program, is ready to receive the vast majority of the federal funding required for full construction.
As the Gateway Development Commission (GDC) stated, it expected the remainder of federal funding to become available through the approximately US$4bn in Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Grant Program, Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE), and Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Grants that have already been applied for.
Considering the provided funding and Amtrak’s contribution, the scheduled date for commencing the early work construction is the current year, whereas major construction is due to start in 2024.
Additionally, fully funding of the local share of the project, will be up to the states of New York and New Jersey, as well as the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
The 2024 is determined date for the next phase of the CIG Program process, which is negotiating and reaching a Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) between the FTA and GDC.
In October 2022 the process of entering the critical engineering phase was done by GDC and this company worked in partnership with the FTA on a risk assessment and an updated financial plan for the project.
According to New York Governor Kathy Hochul: “The Gateway Program is an essential economic engine for New York and the nation, and the Hudson Tunnel Project moving into the engineering phase of the FTA’s Capital Investment Grants program is a great achievement. I am proud of the work we have done with President Biden, Secretary Buttigieg, Senior Advisor Landrieu, and our partners in New Jersey to advance this project, and I thank Majority Leader Schumer and the New York Congressional delegation for providing critical support. I will continue working with our partners to ensure this national priority receives the Federal funds it needs to keep moving forward.”
Located between Newark, New Jersey, and New York City’s Penn Station, the new 3.9km two-tube Gateway Tunnel’s construction beneath the Hudson River is a content of this US$16bn project, while refurbishing Amtrak’s existing 112-year-old North River rail tunnel, which was badly damaged by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, is also a subset of this project. Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor is the most heavily-used passenger rail line in the US.
The RFQ of two major packages: EA1, the Hudson River Ground Stabilisation (HRGS) project; and 1A, the Palisades Tunnel project, was issued in June 2023 by GDC.
Moreover, in May it shortlisted three organizations in its search for a delivery partner. They are: Bechtel-HNTB joint venture; Hudson Delivery Partnership (Atkins North America Inc, Arup US Inc, and the McKissack Group); and MPA Delivery Partners (Parsons Transportation Group of New York Inc, Arcadis of New York Inc, and Mace North America Ltd).
