Joe Biden Says Big Bucks Are Coming For Gateway Tunnel In NJ, NY

NEW JERSEY — Sometimes, a tunnel is more than just a way to get from point A to point B: it’s an “iconic part of the American landscape.” And that’s what the highly anticipated Gateway Tunnel will be for New Jersey and New York when it hits the finish line, its supporters say – including President Joe Biden.

Biden was among the elected officials and community leaders present at a Tuesday news conference on the New York side of the Hudson River, which was held to announce the awarding of nearly $1.2 billion in federal “mega” grants for nine infrastructure projects across the nation (watch the video below). The mega grant program was created under Biden’s landmark Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

One of the construction jobs that will get a boost is the Gateway Project. The plan? Fix one of the most notorious and heavily used railway chokeholds in the nation: the Northeast Corridor.

Work will include building a new tunnel under the Hudson River, which will serve Amtrak and NJ Transit trains, and building new Portal North and South Bridges over the Hackensack River in New Jersey. Read More: There’s Good News For One Of NJ's Most Hated Bridges

It was the tunnel that Biden and other officials came to the Tri-State Area to hype this week, however.

The project has three major parts, according to the Gateway Development Commission:

• New, Two-Track Hudson River Tunnel - A new, two-track Hudson River rail tunnel will be constructed between the Bergen Palisades in New Jersey to Manhattan.
• Hudson Yards Concrete Casing, Section 3 - A third and final rail right-of-way preservation section will be built underneath Hudson Yards in New York. This will eventually allow trains to travel between the new Hudson River Tunnel and the existing Penn Station New York.
• North River Tunnel Rehabilitation - The existing tunnel beneath the Hudson River, which has suboptimal service reliability its and antiquated design, and was severely damaged during Superstorm Sandy, will be rehabilitated.

The plan – which was greenlighted during the administration of former President Barack Obama – hit a brick wall during the Trump administration. But it has picked up steam again since Biden took office, and has seen several key milestones since then.

Last summer, the governors of New York and New Jersey signed a written agreement that guarantees a 50-50 split when it comes to funding the Gateway tunnel project. The total price tag is nearly $16 billion – nearly $2 billion higher than earlier estimates – which will be paid with a combination of federal and state funds. Read More: NY/NJ Governors Sign Agreement To Split Cost Of Gateway Project

At the time, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said they would work to “aggressively” chase more federal funding through Biden's landmark infrastructure package. Read More: Here's What NJ Will Get From $1 Trillion Infrastructure Bill

Their efforts – and those of numerous other Gateway supporters – appear to have paid off.

On Tuesday, Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced that $292 million in federal Mega grants is on the way to fuel the second phase of the Gateway Tunnel project at Hudson Yards in New York. Read More: Buttigieg Pushes For Gateway Tunnel After Newark-To-NYC Trip

Both Democrats trumpeted the news.

“As a U.S. senator, I commuted for 36 years, every single solitary day the Senate was in session – and I can tell you where all the delays were,” Biden recalled, getting a few laughs from attendees.

“This tunnel opened for business in 1910,” the president continued. “And the structure is literally deteriorating. The roof is leaking, the floor is sinking, plus it was badly damaged by Superstorm Sandy. I was the vice president then. I came and walked through this tunnel. You ought to see it.”

Other elected officials who cheered the latest funding boost for Gateway included U.S. senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, and Robert Menendez and Cory Booker of New Jersey, who said that the money will help to improve reliability for 200,000 passenger trips per weekday.

Democratic Party members aren’t the only ones who have claimed the Gateway Tunnel is a win-win for the two states. Before another Gateway supporter, U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) took office, her predecessor – now-retired Republican powerhouse Rodney Frelinghuysen – said the project was a “national infrastructure priority that need to be done.”

The nonprofit Regional Plan Association (RPA), which has warned of devastating consequences if the existing, century-old tunnel should shut down, said the Gateway Tunnel is the Tri-State Area’s “most critical” large-scale infrastructure priority. Read More: Hudson River Tunnel Shutdown Would Hurt Families, Economy: Report

The group applauded this week’s grant announcement.

“The federal MEGA grant announced this week will reduce the debt load for both New York and New Jersey and make the project more cost-effective overall,” RPA president and CEO Tom Wright said.

“Both states are collaborating well and have committed to their share of dedicated funds to realize the project,” Wright said. “Now with federal partnership, we have the alignment we need to get this done.”

• See related: These Congress Members Say NJ Urgently Needs 'Gateway Tunnel'

If all goes according to schedule, trains could begin crossing the new tunnels by 2035 and rehab work on the old tunnel may be done by 2038, Gothamist reported.

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