GCD’s agreement with Amtrak is for Package 2, which includes work on the tunnel and systems fit-out, while the agreement with New Jersey Transit covers Package 3, which encompasses the tunnel’s New Jersey surface alignment.
The authorisation follows GDC’s SEP Agreement with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for services in support of the tunnelling and heavy civil work, as well as with Amtrak for the Hudson Yards Concrete Casing – Section 3.
In a joint statement, New York commissioner and co-chair Alicia Glen, New Jersey commissioner and co-chair Balpreet Grewal-Virk, and Amtrak commissioner and vice- chair Tony Coscia, said: “There is incredible momentum behind building this tunnel because there is urgent need for it. Initial construction is beginning in both New York and New Jersey, but we cannot miss a beat. With these SEP Agreements, GDC and our partners are ensuring this tunnel is built as rapidly as possible.”
Early construction work for the tunnel is under way in New Jersey and New York. The Tonnelle Avenue Bridge and Utility Relocation Project, which will create a new roadway bridge located immediately above a future railroad right-of-way, received its Notice to Proceed last week. Construction preparation is also advancing for the Hudson Yards Concrete Casing – Section 3, the essential rail right-of-way preservation project that will connect the new tunnel into New York Penn Station.
In addition to authorising SEP Agreements with Amtrak and New Jersey Transit, the GDC Board passed a resolution authorising GDC to adopt a Title VI and Nondiscrimination Program Plan, completing a critical federal civil rights requirement.
Other major developments in recent months include:
- The HTP entered the Engineering Phase of the Federal Transit Administration’s Capital Investment Grants Program. ?
- The project was selected for a US$292m US Department of Transportation (USDOT) MEGA Grant for work on the Hudson Yards Concrete Casing – Section 3. ?
- The USDOT Build America Bureau is advancing applications for Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing loans to support the local funding share of the HTP. ?
- Five out of nine contemplated HTP contracts are in procurement or construction.
The US$16bn Gateway Program involves building the new 3.9km two-tube Gateway Tunnel under the Hudson River, between Newark, New Jersey, and New York City’s Penn Station, and refurbishing Amtrak’s existing 112-year-old North River rail tunnel, which was badly damaged by Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
