The federal government has increased the project rating for the $12.3 billion Gateway Hudson River Tunnel project to “medium-high”, making it eligible for federal infrastructure funding thorugh the Capital Investment Grants program.
Former president Donald Trump’s administration had previously it as “medium-low.”
“Well-planned, large public transportation projects can transform lives and entire regions by reducing commute times, increasing safety, opening economic opportunities, reducing emissions, and making travel more affordable,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement announcing the change. “The Hudson Tunnel Project will enable a safe, comfortable commute for hundreds of thousands of Americans currently traveling through a tunnel that was built more than 110 years ago.”
New York governor Kathy Hochul expressed appreciation for the rating change.
“The Gateway Hudson Tunnel project is one of the most critically important infrastructure investments of our generation, and the new favorable project rating is proof of President Biden’s ongoing commitment to fighting for and investing in our nation’s transit networks,” she said in a Jan. 20 statement. “I thank the President, Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, our New York Congressional Delegation, and the Federal Transit Administration for their continued commitment to the project.”
“I will continue to stand with our partners at the federal level and with Governor Murphy to keep Gateway’s momentum going and ensure that we secure the necessary federal funding,” Hochul said.
The project must still go through many other hoops before it can turn into a live construction site, however.
