New York-to-New Jersey Tunnel to Break Ground

The long-delayed new tunnel linking New York and New Jersey will begin construction in the next month.

1 minute read

August 13, 2023, 5:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Amtrak train coming out of stone tunnel

Amtrak / Gateway Program

According to an article by Skylar Woodhouse in Bloomberg CityLab, “Evidence of the $16.1 billion, long-delayed, once-canceled effort to build a new tunnel linking New York and New Jersey will finally start appearing on Manhattan streets in the coming weeks.”

As Woodhouse explains, “A predecessor tunnel project, with full funding in place, had started construction when it was canceled by then-New Jersey Governor Chris Christie in 2010, who said the state couldn’t afford it,” while a renewed effort stalled during the Trump administration. “Gateway is key to easing congestion under the Hudson River, a choke point on the Northeast Corridor that runs between Boston and Washington, the country’s busiest passenger-train route.” 

The Gateway project got a boost when President Biden awarded it a $292 million grant. The project also received a $6.9 billion grant from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the largest ever awarded. The tunnel could go into service in 2035.

Thursday, August 10, 2023 in Bloomberg CityLab

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