Completing Hudson Yards Concrete Casing more than 50%

As a key element of the Hudson Tunnel Project, the Hudson Yards Concrete Casing that is Section 3 (HYCC-3) Project, is more than 50% complete.

The scheduled date for finishing HYCC-3 is 2026, as Gateway Development Commission (GDC) said.

Constructin of the new 3.9km two-tube Gateway Tunnel beneath the Hudson River, between Newark, New Jersey, and New York City’s Penn Station, as well as refurbishing Amtrak’s existing 112-year-old North River rail tunnel are contents of the Gateway Program.

Linking the new tunnel to New York Penn Station, the HYCC-3 Project provides the final link. With almost 152.5m long, 18.3m wide, and 18.3m deep, the other two sections of the concrete casing were completed in 2018. Its structure will consist of heavily reinforced concrete ranging from 1-3m thick with a waterproof membrane covering its perimeter.

Emphasising the scale of the Hudson Tunnel project, GDC CEO Tom Prendergast said: “We talk about the HTP as a single megaproject, but when you think about the scope and complexity of each construction package, it is more like 10 megaprojects rolled into one. Reaching the halfway point on the HYCC-3 Project on scope, schedule, and budget is an amazing accomplishment that speaks to the entire GDC team’s expertise and dedication, but our work is just beginning. I look forward to leading this talented team as we build on today’s milestone to deliver this critical project.”

As a representive of GDC, Amtrak is the supporting or executing partner and construction manager on the HYCC-3 project.

While currently five of the 10 construction projects that make up the HTP are in advance, GDC anticipates awarding contracts for two more projects in 2026. The five active projects are:

• In order to creating access to the TBM launch site,the Tonnelle Ave Bridge and Utility Relocation Project is building a new road bridge supporting the highway. This project is more than 75% finished and is on track to be completed by the end of this year.
• With the aim of providing a block of reinforced earth strong enough for TBMs to pass through, the Hudson River Ground Stabilisation (HRGS) Project involves mixing concrete into the silt that makes up the shallow riverbed on the Manhattan side of the Hudson River. Geophysical surveying of the entire area to be stabilised has been completed and concrete mixing is in progress.
• As the first tunnel boring project of the HTP, the Palisades Tunnel Project’s early work, including installing monitoring equipment, geotechnical borings, and clearing the area where the TBMs will launch, is in progress and the TBMs are in production. Tunnel boring is expected to start next year.
• The Manhattan Tunnel Project will build a section of the new tunnel connecting to the Hudson Yards Concrete Casing and an access shaft at 12th Avenue that will be used to remove the TBMs that build the portion of the tunnel under the Hudson River. In February, GDC awarded the contract for this project to Frontier-Kemper-Tutor-Perini JV and early work began in April.