By Rose Bell
In order to marking a significant landmark for the largest infrastructure project in U.S. history, that is the long-awaited Gateway Tunnel project, the $16 billion initiative has secured a $6.8 billion full-funding grant from the federal government.
Considering that this substantial grant is due to facilitate the hiring of crews to start the crucial excavation work for two new tunnels, initial infrastructure updates on both sides of the Hudson River have already commenced. The estimated date for beginning the construction process by Gateway Development Commission CEO Kris Kolluri is the current year, whereas the entire project is slated to be completed by 2035.
Causing essential improvements to the two existing tunnels, which have been in use for over a century, is also another milestone of this project along with construction of two new tunnels. The securing of this funding has brought a sense of relief and accomplishment to all those involved.
According to Kolluri: “A promise 30 years in the making is close to being realized. With the final funding puzzle piece almost in place, we can now build the first heavy rail tunnel under the Hudson in more than a century.”
While the scheduled date for finalizing the agreement between the Federal Transit Administration and the Gateway Development Commission is the coming weeks, this development is a significant victory for Governor Phil Murphy, who has been advocating for the project’s approval and securing millions in state funds since taking office.
“It’s official: We are moving full steam ahead with the largest and most consequential infrastructure project in the nation,” Murphy announced on X, formerly known as Twitter.
U.S. Representatives Josh Gottheimer and Mikie Sherrill, both potential candidates for Murphy’s successor, expressed their enthusiasm in public statements.
“After years of hard work, there’s nothing better than seeing federal investment at work to help our families with faster, safer, and more reliable commutes. That’s why I fought so hard to help craft and pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, to claw back dollars to Jersey to build the Gateway Train Tunnel,” said Gottheimer.
Emphasized on the job creation potential of the project, Sherrill stated: “Today’s announcement means more good-paying, union jobs are coming to New Jersey. Since Day One, I’ve fought tooth and nail to secure federal funding to build the Gateway Tunnel, which will bring our infrastructure into the 21st century and improve the quality of life and economic opportunities for millions of families in our region.”
Although it concludes a prolonged effort to secure funding, this grant marks commence of a complex construction process. Planning for the project began in earnest in February 2011 after former Governor Chris Christie halted a similar initiative, the ARC project, due to concerns over potential cost overruns.
Kolluri highlighted the broader impact of the project. “We are building more than portals of concrete and rebar, we are building portals of opportunity,” he said.
