$6.9B in federal funds going to 2nd rail tunnel to be built under Hudson River

A critical tunnel project linking Manhattan to New Jersey is getting $6.88 billion from the federal government — the largest amount ever awarded to a mass transit project — Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Thursday.

The money will go toward the construction of a second rail tunnel under the Hudson River, and kick-starts a long-delayed project called Gateway, considered among the most important in the nation.

The tunnel work is expected to cost more than $16 billion, and the tunnels are expected to open in 2035.

The tunnels should alleviate strain at Penn Station. The original, single-track tunnels were built more than 113 years ago and have been decaying since they were flooded during Superstorm Sandy 11 years ago. If these tunnels were to fail, transportation in the region would grind to a halt.

Schumer’s office said the project would move into an “action-packed engineering phase” and construction within a year.

Gateway was proposed over a decade ago but was stymied by then-New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who canceled the project while he was eyeing a bid for the White House.

According to a White House news release issued in January, when President Joe Biden announced federal funds for Gateway, the project primarily benefits the 200,000 weekday passengers who ride Amtrak and New Jersey Transit. Gateway is believed to have residual benefits for the Long Island Rail Road, since it shares Penn Station with Amtrak and NJ Transit.

For now, the tunnel under the Hudson has reached its full capacity — 24 trains per hour, “causing bottlenecks and delays.”

“The tunnel has two tubes with one track each. When one goes out of service for any reason, trains have to wait to go through the working tube. This creates headaches for NJ Transit commuters and Amtrak travelers and delays that cascade up and down the Northeast Corridor,” the release said.

According to the release, passengers experienced 12,653 minutes of delays in 2020 because of the aging tunnel, which in 2012 was badly damaged by Sandy when millions of gallons of saltwater rushed in. The damage continues to imperil the signaling, electrical components, concrete, steel, tracks and third rail.

“The dollars are there, and Gateway will get done. Today, the light at the end of the tunnel is powered by a massive $6.88 billion grant,” Schumer said. “Gateway is the most consequential infrastructure project in all of America.”

Schumer added: “If the tunnels across the Hudson collapse or are unusable, our whole economy goes into turmoil. People can’t get across the Hudson from New Jersey to New York. All those who use cars, there’ll be 24/7 traffic on the Lincoln Tunnel and the GW Bridge, and New York will come to a standstill.”

Within a year, digging, drilling and boring will start, Schumer spokesman Angelo Roefaro said.

New York and New Jersey are also contributing money to the project.

By Matthew Chayes

matthew.chayes@newsday.comchayesmatthew

Matthew Chayes, a Newsday reporter since 2007, covers New York City.