Gateway transit link under Hudson River gets delayed by three years, to cost additional $2 billion. See details

A commuter tunnel, called the Gateway transit, is under construction. It was supposed to be completed by 2032 and link New York to New Jersey underneath the Hudson River. However, the project has been delayed, and there’s also been an additional construction cost.

What has changed?
The Gateway Development Commission stated that the tunnel construction would be completed by 2035, three years later than planned and one year after the existing tunnel is shut. It also stated that the project would incur an additional cost of $2 billion. The construction is also expected to start in 2024 rather than this year.





What is the project about?
The Gateway Development Commission started this project, worth $16.1 billion, to replace the Portal Bridge. A new railway tunnel was being built under the Hudson River linking the cities of New Jersey and New York.

The construction started on August 1 and covered the bridge portion valuing $2.3 billion. After the new construction is complete, the old tunnel will be shut down for repairs, which are expected to get completed by 2038.

What is the commission saying now?
The CEO of the Gateway Development Commission, Kris Kolluri, has attributed the cost hike to the pandemic. Talking about the delay, Kolluri stated that it was because of the political delay that happened in the previous federal administration. He added that the commission would find new resources to try and speed up the project.

Kolluri also remarked that they would seek additional funding from the grants available under 2021’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. It would help them have acceptable costs and schedules that their partners and the public can depend on. He said that the commission would try and reduce costs and increase the speed of the construction. However, they needed to be now working alongside the federal government.

Meanwhile, the Governor, Phil Murphy, stated that the project was crucial and that his government would extend full support to allow accessible and affordable transportation for all residents and visitors of New Jersey.