These Congress Members Say NJ Urgently Needs 'Gateway Tunnel'

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — The future is looking brighter for a massive construction effort known as the Gateway Project, according to several federal lawmakers who represent towns in Essex County.

Over recent years, the project, which would build a two-track Hudson River rail tunnel from New Jersey to Manhattan, has seen support from U.S. Reps. Donald Payne Jr., Mikie Sherrill, Albio Sires and Tom Malinowski.

A separate part of the project would replace the "functionally obsolete" Portal Bridge over the Hackensack River – a notorious chokehold for local commuters.

The combined projects would help alleviate chronic delays on the aging Northeast Corridor, which serves both NJ Transit and Amtrak. The combined cost has been estimated as high as $30 billion. Learn more about the Gateway Program here.

State officials in New Jersey and New York have been trying to secure federal funding for the project for years, but met stiff resistance from transportation officials during the Trump Administration.

At the heart of the dispute was New Jersey and New York's plan to pay for half of the cost of the project, with the federal government matching the other half partly through loans.

• See related article: $13B Gateway Tunnel In Jeopardy; Feds Trash Obama-Era Deal

The project has been mired in the environmental review process and stuck behind a mile of red tape. But according to New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, the ball has started rolling again on the Hudson Tunnel aspect of the Gateway Project now that President Joe Biden is in office.

"The Biden Administration's announcement of the impending May completion date for the Hudson Tunnel project's final environmental impact statement and record of decision is a major step towards relief for New Jersey commuters," Murphy said Friday.

The estimated completion date of the environmental review and permitting is Oct. 1, 2021. The updated status of the project can be viewed on the federal permitting dashboard website.

• See related article: Gateway Tunnel Back On Track Under Biden, NJ Governor Says

‘MOST IMPORTANT INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT IN THE COUNTRY’

On Friday, Rep. Payne said the new federal perspective on the Gateway Project is good news for commuters in his district.

Payne, who sent a letter to the Biden-Harris administration in December in support of the project, said that progress is being made on the Portal Bridge situation, but has lagged on the Hudson Tunnel aspect.

Both projects are necessary to replace aging infrastructure that is more than a century old, he said.

“The Gateway Program must be the top priority of any infrastructure plan, and I’m glad to see the Biden Administration understands the importance of this program,” Payne commented.

Sherrill, another big supporter of the project, has repeatedly called Gateway the “most important infrastructure project in the country,” a stance that her Republican predecessor, Rodney Frelinghuysen, also shared.

On Monday, Rep. Malinowski applauded the recent movement on the Gateway front, adding that he's advocated the project to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.

“After years of stalling by the Trump Administration, Gateway is on track,” Malinowski said. “I commend Secretary Buttigieg, leadership at the Federal Transit Administration and the Federal Railroad Administration, and the project sponsors for their efforts, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with them to get the tunnel done.”

Rep. Sires, another consistent Gateway supporter, has also pitched the project to Buttigieg.

“We have two commuter tunnels that are over 100-years-old,” Sires told Buttigieg during a Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing in March. “During Superstorm Sandy, a lot of saltwater got into the tunnels. I’m concerned that if we don’t address this issue, it’s going to be catastrophic.”

It isn’t just commuters who would suffer if a breakdown happens before fixes are made, Sires added.

“This corridor serves a region that is home to 17 percent of the U.S. population and 97 Fortune 500 company headquarters,” the congressman said. “The area also contributes 20 percent of the national GDP.”

• Read More: 4 Congress Members In Essex County Vote Yes For COVID Relief Bill

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