By Lynda Myer
As its delivery partner for the Hudson Tunnel Project (HTP), the Gateway Development Commission has opted MPA Delivery Partners, a joint venture of Parsons Corporation, Arcadis of New York, and Mace North America Ltd, from a shortlist of three consortia.
Its responsibilities are due to be providing project management support in key areas, including interface risk management, cost and schedule assurance, safety and quality management, and innovation and value engineering, as well as providing construction management support in the form of field management and safety, and quality and compliance support.
“The group will be the arms and legs that enable GDC to continue to move this project in high gear as we prepare for heavy construction to start. With more major contract awards coming down the pike this year, getting the delivery partner on board ensures we have the strongest and most agile team possible at the ready,” co-chairs Balpreet Grewal-Virk and Tony Coscia said in a joint statement.
Although the project delivery model is almost new in the US, it has been used in other countries, such as Metrolinx’s subway expansion in Ontario, London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the UK’s HS2 high-speed railway and Sydney Metro in Australia.
According to Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner: “GDC’s partnership with MPA Delivery Partners would leverage the skills and experience of these seasoned private sector firms and ensure GDC has the capabilities to successfully build this critical asset that will transform passenger rail in New Jersey, New York, and the Northeast Corridor.”
Construction of the new 3.8km two-tube Gateway Tunnel beneath the Hudson River, between Newark, New Jersey, and New York City’s Penn Station, and refurbishing Amtrak’s existing 112-year-old North River rail tunnel, which was badly damaged by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, are the contents of this project with US$16bn value.
Following awarding the first heavy construction contract( for the Hudson River Ground Stabilisation) to Weeks Marine earlier this month, the GDC cleared the way for work to begin in the river this year.
