NEW YORK — New Northeast Corridor tunnels connecting New Jersey to New York’s Penn Station will not be completed before 2035 — three years later than previously planned — and will cost at least $2 billion more than previously projected, the commission overseeing the project said last week.
The New York Times reports that the cost of the Gateway Tunnel project will rise to $16.1 billion, and the delay with the new tunnels under the Hudson River mean rehabilitation of the existing tunnels — significantly damaged during Hurricane Sandy — would not be complete until 2038, also three years later than prior projections.
The website amNY.com reports officials from the Gateway Development Commission, created by the states of New York and New Jersey to manage the project, blame the delays and cost increases on the project’s inability to advance during the Trump administration, addition of more time to the schedule to allow for problems, inflation, and rising interest rates.
The commission hopes to cover some of the additional costs with money from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. New York and New Jersey would cover the remainder.
The long-discussed project achieved a milestone last December when it received federal clearance allowing construction [see “Hudson Tunnel project gets federal permit,” Trains News Wire, Dec. 2, 2021], while the governors of New York and New Jersey agreed on how to fund the project earlier this year [see “New York, New Jersey sign agreement …,” News Wire, July 7, 2022].
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