New York Construction Report staff writer
Construction has resumed across all work sites on the Hudson Tunnel Project, though officials say work could halt again within months if federal funding is interrupted.
The Gateway Development Commission said workers have returned to sites where activity had been paused and suspended construction work has restarted. However, the agency warned that construction could pause again in two to three months if federal funding disbursements do not continue.
Contract awards for major portions of the project — including the Hudson River Tunnel and the New Jersey Surface Alignment — also remain on hold.
“The Hudson Tunnel Project is the most urgent passenger rail project in the country, and GDC’s mission is to deliver it as soon as possible,” said CEO Tom Prendergast. “Our workers are back, and we are moving full steam ahead across all our construction sites, but we will have no choice but to stop work again if the federal government does not continue to disburse the funds that are committed to the project.”
The project, part of the broader Gateway Program, is intended to build new rail tunnels beneath the Hudson River and rehabilitate existing infrastructure connecting New York City and Newark along the busy Northeast Corridor.
Despite the uncertainty, officials say construction has advanced this year.
Recent construction milestones:
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Completion of the Tonnelle Avenue Bridge and Utility Relocation Project, which cleared space beneath the roadway for tunnel boring machines to be assembled.
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Arrival of components for the first tunnel boring machine for the Palisades Tunnel Project at a site in North Bergen, where assembly preparations are underway.
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Shipment of a second tunnel boring machine from the factory, with parts expected to begin arriving in March.
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Completion of the slurry wall for the Hudson County Access Shaft in Weehawken, creating a watertight perimeter for excavation scheduled to begin this spring.
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Start of pipe installation and construction of an overwater platform near the Manhattan bulkhead to support ground-freezing work ahead of tunnelling.
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Movement of a cofferdam in the Hudson River east toward Manhattan to allow deep soil mixing to stabilize the riverbed for tunnel boring.
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Completion of the concrete invert slab for the Hudson Yards Concrete Casing Section 3 tunnel box in Manhattan, with more than 11,000 cubic yards of concrete poured and wall construction underway.
Prendergast said maintaining reliable access to federal funding is critical to keeping workers on the job and completing the project.
“This project is too important to delay,” he said. “We’re doing everything possible to regain consistent and predictable access to our federal funding so we can deliver the reliable, modern rail transit Americans deserve.”
