Following securement of a Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) in July for the Hudson Tunnel Project (HTP), the Gateway Development Commission (GDC) board on Aug. 28 authorized the Commission to enter into the FFGA. This “will cap off the massive effort to get the Hudson Tunnel Project all the funding it needs to be completed,” said Alicia Glen, GDC’s New York Commissioner, Balpreet Grewal-Virk, New Jersey’s Commissioner, and Tony Coscia, Amtrak’s Commissioner, in a joint statement.
The GDC on Aug. 2 awarded an initial tunnel boring contract and issued a Notice to Proceed on the first heavy construction phase of the HTP, one of several Gateway Program projects to upgrade and increase capacity on the New Jersey-to-New York portion of the Northeast Corridor (NEC), the most heavily used passenger rail line in the U.S., hosting more than 2,200 train movements and 800,000 passenger trips daily.
The GDC awarded a $465 million tunnel boring contract to Schiavone Dragados Lane JV for the HTP Palisades Tunnel Project, the first such contract awarded. Work will begin in the coming months and is expected to be completed in 2027.
The Palisades Tunnel Project involves the first mile of twin tunnels on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River. It includes boring two 5,100-foot long tunnels with an inside diameter of 25 feet 2 inches and six cross passages, as well as furnishing and installing a concrete tunnel lining with waterproofing membrane. The project also involves building the Hudson County Shaft, which will be used to remove the TBMs (Tunnel Boring Machines) when excavation is complete. The contract includes an additional 5% for contingencies.
The GDC also authorized a Notice to Proceed for Phase Two of the Hudson River Ground Stabilization (HRGS) Project, the first HTP heavy construction project. Phase One began in May 2024 and is expected to conclude this fall. Phase Two will be completed in 2027.
The HRGS Project involves injecting a mix of soil, concrete and water into the riverbed in 1,200 feet of the shallow area on the Manhattan side of the Hudson River to ensure the TBM can excavate the new tunnel and protect the riverbed from disruption. To limit impacts on the river ecosystem, temporary sheet pile cofferdams will enclose the work zone and construction will be timed to avoid disrupting fish spawning seasons.
HRGS Phase One included surveying and design and construction of a test cofferdam. Phase Two will include injecting grout into the silt on the riverbed to create columns of soil mixed with cement and water that will stabilize the ground above the future tunnel. The GDC Board awarded the HRGS contract to Weeks Marine, Inc. in February 2024
To increase public engagement with the project, the GDC has launched a time-lapse EarthCam to provide a daily panoramic image of construction progress at the Manhattan entrance area to the HTP.
The GDC also appointed William Fletcher as Inspector General. He “reviews GDC policies and processes and recommends enhancements and preventive measures to minimize the risk of misconduct,” the agency said. “Fletcher will also investigate complaints pertaining to fraud, waste and abuse and administer and manage the Commission’s whistleblower access. He will prepare reports for Commission leadership and external entities as required. As mandated in GDC’s founding legislation, the IG reports directly to the Board of Commissioners.”
Fletcher brings more than 20 years of professional experience to the role, with more than 13 years in various Offices of Inspector General, including IG at the Chicago Board of Education and Chicago Park District, Deputy IG at the Chicago Board of Education, and Assistant IG for the City of Chicago.
