There’s good news to report about that badly-needed new rail tunnel under the Hudson River: $70 million has been allotted for early engineering work on the Gateway Project, the New York Daily News reported. That money is being split between Amtrak and the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey. It’s only a fraction of the estimated $20 billion cost of the full project, which will be funded half by the federal government and half by New York and New Jersey.
"After years of talk but no action, I am proud to see this endeavor moving forward and I look forward to seeing construction begin soon," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement.
The existing tubes connecting the Garden and Empire states, officially called the North River Tunnels, opened in 1910. Already having exceeded their lifespan, unable to serve current passenger demands, and in need of a massive overhaul, Hurricane Sandy dealt a strong blow to them. Each needs to actually be shut down for said overhaul and doing that without a new tunnel in place would cripple rapid transit into and out of New York City.
While they are connected, the Gateway Project is not the same as the recently announced $3 billion overhaul of Penn Station.
• $70M allotted to early work on new Hudson River tunnel [NYDN]
• Trans-Hudson Tunnel Plans Inch Forward With Funding Talks [Curbed]
• Penn Station Overhaul Is Now One Step Closer to Happening [Curbed]
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