The North River Tunnel under the Hudson River connects New York and New Jersey and carries Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT passengers making 200,000 daily trips. Photo Credit: Gateway Program Development Corp.

NEWARK, NJ—US Senators from eight Northeast states are pressing the Federal Railroad Administration to finalize and approve plans for the Hudson River Tunnel, part of the multi-billion-dollar Gateway project.

New Jersey US Senators Cory Booker and Bob Menendez joined 13 other Northeast Senators in a letter to FRA Administrator Ronald Batory that the agency finalize and approve plans to immediately advance the Hudson Tunnel Project into the design and construction phase, noting the project secured draft Environmental Impact Statement approval in 2017.

Sen. Menendez, ranking member of the Senate's transit committee, and Sen. Booker have been repeatedly calling on the Trump Administration to complete the Gateway Project, which includes replacing the 110-year-old Portal Bridge and building a new trans-Hudson rail tunnel to replace existing tunnels damaged by Hurricane Sandy.

"It is unacceptable that we have yet to receive a definite timeline for completion of the environmental review. We implore you to provide an update on when we can expect a final EIS and ROD for the Hudson Tunnel Project—including confirmation of the remaining steps necessary to move the project into the design and construction phases," the senators wrote to FRA Administrator Ronald Batory. "These tubes are old and in need of significant rehabilitation. If they are forced to close, the region would grind to a standstill, and the nation's economy would suffer immensely."

A 2019 Regional Plan Association report found that closing either of the North River Tunnel's two tubes "would cost the national economy $16 billion, reduce home values by $22 billion, and lead to decreased economic productivity; job losses; increased congestion and crashes across the northeastern United States."

In the 2020 budget, Sen. Menendez helped secure $700 million for the Northeast Corridor, which can be used in part to fund the Gateway Project.

The letter was also signed by Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y), Jack Reed (D-RI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Tom Carper (D-DE), Chris Coons (D-DE.), Ed Markey (D-MA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bob Casey (D-PA) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).

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Northeast US Senators Press Feds to Advance Hudson Tunnel Project

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