NYC-NJ 'Gateway Tunnel' Gets Crucial Go-Ahead

NEW YORK CITY — A long-awaited, $11.6 billion project to add new rail tunnels under the Hudson River and repair storm-damaged existing is finally a go.

The Gateway Tunnel Project on Friday cleared a crucial environment review, according to the Biden administration.

New York political leaders, who've pushed for the project for a decade, rejoiced.

“Repairing and strengthening the Hudson River tunnels, which were severely damaged during Superstorm Sandy, is critical to New York and the Northeast economies," Sen. Kristen Gillibrand said in a statement. "I am thankful for the Biden administration’s commitment to pushing this project forward by releasing the Environmental Impact Statement, which will allow officials to proceed with the next steps of acquiring the necessary property and advancing design work. This is a major milestone and I stand ready to help move this project forward."

The project will build a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River, bringing more train traffic to and from New Jersey through Penn Station. It will also rehab the century-old North River Tunnel, which sustained serious damage during Sandy.

Many commuters, wary about the crumbling infrastructure, supported the project.

But the project hit a snag with former President Donald Trump's administration. Trump officials held up releasing an environmental impact statement necessary to begin the project, according to the New York Times.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New Yorker, blasted the Trump administration in an interview with Politico after the tunnel project got the go-ahead.

“This is vital to New York’s future and it was vindictive, petty and mean for Trump to block it and now we’re moving forward,” Schumer told Politico. “It’s probably the most important public works project in America. If those tunnels fail and can’t be used, 25 percent of our economy would be at risk from Boston to Washington.”

Find out more about the project here.