Preliminary engineering on Hudson Tunnel enters new phase

17 November 2021


Following the passing of the US Federal Infrastructure Bill earlier this month, critical supplemental geotechnical investigations have begun on the west side of Manhattan, NY in preparation for the construction of the Hudson Tunnel in 2023.

Bores are being drilled more than 30m underground at a recently acquired property at 260 Twelfth Avenue which will form the site of a construction access and ventilation shaft. The additional borings were identified during a 2019 Request for Information process that sought the input of the private sector.

Data from the programme will inform the geotechnical baseline report, a key input into the Hudson Tunnel Project’s request to enter the engineering phase of the Federal Transit Administration’s Capital Investment Grant (CIG) Programme. The investigation work will be undertaken during weekdays and is expected to run through early 2022.

“The Hudson Tunnel Project will put thousands of people to work building needed American infrastructure,” said Balpreet Grewal-Virk, Gateway Commission Co-chair and New Jersey Commissioner. “With the dollars and loan benefits available in the Federal Infrastructure Bill and the analysis of underground conditions we are undertaking, the project is taking big steps toward the start of full construction.”

Rail infrastructure provider Amtrak has already begun to acquire properties needed to advance the engineering work and move the project closer to full construction. Early property acquisition will help beat price increases that can occur over time.

The Hudson Tunnel forms part of the Gateway Programme, seen as the most urgent infrastructure project in the US. The historic investment in rail is expected to improve commuter and intercity services, add needed resiliency and create new capacity for the busiest section of the Northeast Corridor (NEC). The NEC is the most heavily-used passenger rail line in the country, hosting more than 2,200 train movements and 800,000 passenger trips daily.