Full Breakdown
Hudson Tunnel Project Begins Historic Boring Phase
By Drooid · · How we work
Launch of Tunnel Boring Operations
In late September 2026, officials from New York and New Jersey gathered in North Bergen, New Jersey, to start the Hudson Tunnel Project. Two tunnel-boring machines (TBMs) were lowered into a launch box and, after final testing, will begin cutting through roughly one mile of Palisades rock. The machines are expected to advance about 30 feet per day, reaching an access shaft in Hudson County after approximately one year. A second pair of TBMs will then replace them to bore the softer soil beneath the Hudson River, completing the two-tube tunnel that will link New York Penn Station with New Jersey Transit and Amtrak lines.
Background and Funding Challenges
The project, part of the larger Gateway Program, has faced political setbacks. In fall 2025 the White House Office of Management and Budget froze federal funding, prompting New York and New Jersey to sue. On June 29, U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas ruled the freeze unlawful, restoring the $11 billion in DOT grants authorized under President Biden. The DOT later withdrew its appeal, allowing construction to resume. Earlier, the Trump administration had halted federal support, a suspension later overturned by a federal judge.
Technical Details and Timeline
- TBM specifications: each machine weighs more than 1,680 tons, has a single-shield design for hard, dry rock, and a cutterhead 28 feet 8 inches in diameter with a trailing gantry about 500 feet long.
- Initial phase: the first pair will bore roughly 5,100 feet (?1 mile) from the North Bergen portal to the Hudson County access shaft, at ~30 feet per day, including scheduled maintenance.
- Second phase: after reaching the shaft, the machines will be swapped for a second pair designed for mixed ground conditions to tunnel beneath the Hudson River toward Manhattan.
- Overall schedule: the Gateway Development Commission estimates the $16 billion project will take about a decade to finish, with the first rock-boring segment slated to complete within one year.
Official Statements & Responses
State leaders framed the launch as a rebuke of prior federal opposition. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill highlighted the region’s economic weight, while New York Governor Kathy Hochul pledged that nothing would halt the work. Senator Chuck Schumer emphasized the tunnel’s national importance, noting that its absence could jeopardize the broader economy. Officials from the Gateway Development Commission described the start of boring as a critical milestone toward delivering modern, reliable rail service for the region’s 200,000 daily riders.
Data & Statistics
- Cost: $16 billion (estimated by the Gateway Development Commission).
- Existing tunnel usage: the 1910 North River Tunnel carries about 200,000 passengers daily.
- Economic impact: a shutdown of the existing tunnel for one day is projected to cost the U.S. economy roughly $100 billion (reported by 6sqft).
- Project scope: the Hudson Tunnel Project adds two new tunnels and includes rehabilitation of the aging North River Tunnel, forming one of ten construction packages within the Gateway Program.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Completion dates differ among sources. The Epoch Times cites a projected finish in 2035, whereas Governor Hochul has said the tunnel “will be done” by 2034. No definitive schedule has been confirmed by the Gateway Development Commission.
