Construction begins on Hudson River tunnel in New York

Work has begun on the final part of an underground casing project that will clear the way for the full construction of the new Hudson River Tunnel in New York, US. The construction of early works has been approved in New Jersey.

The Gateway Hudson River Tunnel will receive US$3.8 billion through a phased funding agreement (Photo: AdobeStock)

The Hudson Tunnel project includes the construction of a new 2.3km long twin tube tunnel between New York and New Jersey, in addition to the rehabilitation of an existing 107-year-old tunnel under the Hudson River.

The Gateway Development Commission (GDC), a US Government sponsored authority, is responsible for facilitating and coordinating the project.

The Gateway Hudson River Tunnel will receive US$3.8 billion through a phased funding agreement to rehabilitate and expand the 100-year-old Hudson River Tunnel between New York and New Jersey.

The whole Gateway Program is an investment program for rail improvement that aims to improve commuter and intercity services, while adding necessary resiliency and creating new capacity for the Northeast Corridor’s busiest section.

The third section of the Hudson Yards Concrete Casing project is an important aspect of the entire program. The section is responsible for preserving the tunnel right-of-way around the future tracks located on the West Side of Manhattan. These tracks will lead from the new Hudson Tunnel to New York Penn Station.

The initial two phases of the Hudson Yards Concrete Casing project have been finished and are located beneath the block bounded by 10th and 11th Avenues and 30th and 33rd Streets.

In addition, construction has started on the third and final section of the project. The casing will be extended diagonally from the western edge of 11th Avenue to 30th Street, where it will be connected to the new Hudson River Tunnel. This section of the project is expected to be completed by the summer of 2026.

In January of this year, US President Joe Biden announced that the third section of the project would receive $292 million (£235 million) through the US Department of Transportation’s Mega Grant Program.