New York Construction Report staff writer
U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer is urging President Donald Trump to restore federal funding for the Gateway Project, warning that construction on the critical Hudson River rail tunnel could halt within days, threatening jobs, commuters and the national economy.
Speaking Monday at a Gateway Development Commission board meeting in Lower Manhattan, Gottheimer said the bipartisan infrastructure project — already under construction — is at risk of running out of money after the Trump administration withheld federal funds previously approved by Congress.
“In just 10 days, on February 6, the money runs out, and shovels go down on the Gateway Project,” Gottheimer said. “This is a five-alarm fire.”
The Gateway Project will add two new rail tunnels under the Hudson River between New Jersey and New York, replacing and supplementing the existing North River tunnels, which are more than 116 years old and were heavily damaged during Superstorm Sandy. The tunnels carry more than 200,000 passengers daily and serve a rail corridor through which roughly 20 per cent of the nation’s gross domestic product moves.
Gottheimer said if one of the existing tunnels were forced to shut down, it could cost the U.S. economy an estimated $100 million per day, or more than $36 billion annually.
The New Jersey Democrat helped secure federal funding for the project through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which was signed into law in 2021. He said the project has already begun construction at multiple sites and employs more than 1,000 union workers.
Construction of the full Gateway Project is expected to create more than 95,000 jobs and generate nearly $20 billion in economic activity.
“If funding is not restored, construction could stop as soon as February 6, putting more than 1,000 union workers out of a job,” Gottheimer said. “Billions in taxpayer dollars are also at risk of being wasted.”
Gottheimer accused the administration of stopping payments despite the project being authorized and funded by Congress.
“For seemingly no apparent reason, the Trump administration has stopped it in its tracks,” he said. “It’s already being built. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”
Standing alongside Gateway Development Commission leadership, labor leaders and elected officials, Gottheimer said the project’s shutdown would undermine reliability across the entire Northeast Corridor, one of the busiest passenger rail networks in the world.
“Gateway is not just a regional priority — it’s a national imperative,” he said.
Addressing Trump directly, Gottheimer warned of political and economic consequences if the project collapses.
“This tunnel is 116 years old. If it collapses, America will blame you,” he said. “If we fall behind and our economy here falters, American families and businesses of all sizes will blame you.”
Gottheimer urged the president to approve the release of federal funds and allow construction to continue, framing the project as a bipartisan investment in infrastructure and economic stability.
“There is nothing partisan about this,” he said. “Democrats and Republicans are ready to sit down and get this done, together. So, Mr. President, let’s do it. Give it the green light today.”
