Trekking to Jersey isn’t always easy, but the Hudson Tunnel Project aims to make trips in and out of our go-to commuter towns more seamless.
Considered the “most urgent infrastructure project in America,” this $16 billion undertaking will affect 200,000 daily travelers and create 100,000 jobs in the process.
After the short but stressful NJ Transit Strike and the current hassle of the East River Tunnel repair for our neighbors on the LIRR, an easy commute to Hoboken and Jersey City — a.k.a. New Yorkers’ new favorite spots — is welcome.
Curious what the project entails? We’ll tell you everything you need to know.
What is the Hudson Tunnel Project?
The Hudson Tunnel Project, a venture from The Gateway Program, will create nine miles of new passenger rail tracks between New York and New Jersey, including a new, two-tube tunnel under the Hudson River. Simultaneously, the program is repairing the current 115-year-old tunnel.
When all is said and done, two tracks in the new Hudson River Tunnel and two in the North River Tunnel will be connect NYC and New Jersey to keep the Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT capacity in check.
The multi-state project focuses on the Northeast Corridor (NEC) which runs 457 miles across eight states. The nearly 10-mile stretch from Newark, New Jersey, to Penn Station in NYC is the busiest portion of the line with 2,000 intercity and commuter trains and a whopping 800,000 daily passenger trips, per the Gateway Program.
“Gateway is a project that has enormous consequences for the millions of riders who will benefit from it, and it will be a significant driver of economic growth for the entire New Jersey – New York region,” Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole said in a statement.
Is the Hudson Tunnel Project happening?
The Hudson Tunnel Project broke ground in 2023 and is considered to be 10 projects built into one, according to GDC Chief of Public Outreach Steve Sigmund, per Mass Transit.
According to the Gateway Program website, five of the 10 projects of the Hudson Tunnel Project are currently underway, including:
- Tonnelle Avenue Bridge and Utility Relocation Project
- Hudson Yards Concrete Casing – Section 3 Project
- Hudson River Ground Stabilization Project
- Palisades Tunnel Project
- Manhattan Tunnel Project
Once the project is complete — the new tunnel is expected by 2035 and the full rehabilitation of the current tunnel three years later — the repairs are will last for a century.
Who is paying for the Hudson Tunnel Project?
The federal government and the Hudson Tunnel Project’s partners — New York, New Jersey, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) — are responsible for the undertaking and are splitting the costs 70/30, according to a press release from New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s office.
The Gateway Hudson Tunnel Project is benefitting those in the area as well. A statement from the organization indicates that it supports 20,200 direct, indirect, and induced full-time equivalent (FTE) equivalent workers while generating $4.5 billion in economic output and $1.7 billion in labor income.
To learn more about the project and stay in tune with its updates, visit the Gateway Development Commission online.