The Gateway Development Commission (GDC) has secured €16 billion dollars in funding to complete the Hudson Tunnel Project (HTP) in New York and New Jersey.
This includes €12 billion in funding from the Federal Government, marking the largest-ever federal funding commitment to a rail transformation project in US history.
The GDC was established in July 2019 by the states of New York and New Jersey to deliver Phase 1 of the Gateway Program, a rail infrastructure project along the country’s Northeast Corridor (NEC).
The NEC is the United States’ most heavily used passenger rail line, with more than 2200 daily services carrying 800,000 daily passenger journeys across eight states and Washington D.C.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said: “Today marks a significant milestone on the path to ensuring the success of our nation’s most vital infrastructure project.
As the main artery of our nation’s economy continues to be pushed to its limits, we are now one step closer to transforming the 100-year-old infrastructure under the Hudson River.”
The HTP will eliminate one of the biggest risks of failure on the NEC, building two additional tracks and upgrading the existing North River Tunnel, resulting in four tracks between New York and New Jersey.
Construction of the Hudson Tunnel began on both sides of the Hudson River in November 2023. The next stage is to move forward with heavy construction and tunnel boring activity, which will begin in the coming weeks with the Hudson River Ground Stabilization Project.
The new tunnel will be in service by 2035, and the rehabilitation of the North River Tunnel will be complete by 2038. The HTP is expected to create 95,000 jobs and generate €19.6bn in economic activity.
Senator Cory Booker said: “The Hudson Tunnel Project is transformative, improving reliability for the hundreds of thousands of commuters who depend on this vital transit link every day.
“This critical investment in our infrastructure will benefit not only New Jersey and New York, but the entire country by enhancing connectivity, creating jobs, and driving economic growth.”
Image credit: iStock
