NY & NJ Officials Create Corporation To Oversee Gateway Project
It's official, New York and New Jersey leaders announced that they have reached a general agreement on the sharing of funding commitments and a controlling structure that will allow the Gateway Project to move forward.
The agreement is a milestone in the effort to build a new trans-Hudson river tunnel that is an essential portion of Amtrak’s eight-state Northeast Corridor that connects the states of New York and New Jersey and is one of our region’s most critical major infrastructure projects.
Century-old Hudson rail tunnels finally get the attention they deserve
Leaders agreed to create a development corporation to oversee the project which would be formed under the Port Authority of NY and NJ and include Amtrak and other project stakeholders. The Gateway Development Corporation, as it is called, will coordinate the project and be controlled by a board with representatives from both states, Amtrak and the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The total program is estimated to cost $20 billion and will involve multiple construction projects including changes to Penn Station. The Laborers have been strong advocates of the project since the initial proposals were released. We will continue to push to get actual funding for the project so that construction can get underway as soon as possible.
Governor Cuomo:
"Our pledge at 50 percent was heard by the president, was heard by the Department of Transportation and we said, 'Let's stop talking and let's start digging because we have start replacing the tunnels."
Senator Schumer:
“Input should come from all parties—everyone should have a seat at the table—but the planning and financing and implementation of Gateway should be driven by one conductor: the development corporation.”