The Gateway Development Commission (GDC) has submitted all documents required by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to reach a Full-Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) for $6.88 billion in Capital Investment Grants (CIG) Program funding for the Hudson Tunnel Project (HTP).
GDC transmitted the last of its Critical Third-Party Agreements to the FTA on March 30, 2024, clearing the way for the HTP to secure all $16 billion by June 2024 for the project’s full delivery. The HTP has the largest federal funding commitment to a mass transit project in modern history.
“GDC and the FTA have worked hand-in-hand to secure an historic investment in this vital tunnel. Today, we can confidently say that a Full-Funding Grant Agreement to guarantee the Hudson Tunnel Project’s future is on its way. We are grateful to the Biden administration, Majority Leader [Chuck] Schumer and Governors [Kathy] Hochul and [Phil] Murphy for their support at every step,” said Alicia Glen, New York GDC commissioner and co-chair, Balpreet GrewalVirk, New Jersey GDC commissioner and co-Chair and Tony Coscia, GDC Amtrak commissioner and vice chair, in a joint statement.
“This submission represents the last milestone in the roadmap and puts GDC on a glidepath to secure a $6.88 billion CIG FFGA for the HTP. The pace of progress has been unprecedented and GDC has never missed a submission deadline during this process,” said GDC CEO Kris Kolluri said.
Since 2022, GDC has transmitted 16 submittals to the FTA, consisting of six management plans, a robust financial plan and the completion of critical agreements. GDC, with the support of its partners, has completed a total of 43 agreements, including:
- Six Utility Relocation Agreements
- Four Real Estate Agreements
- 10 Regulatory Compliance Permits
- Eight Programmatic and Labor-Related Agreements
- 11 Eleven Project Funding Agreements
The GDC Board of Commissioners have also approved GDC’s audited financial statements for Fiscal Year 2023 and appointing Patrick McCoy as chief financial officer of the GDC.
The HTP has also made substantial additional progress in recent weeks. On March 14, GDC issued a Notice to Proceed for in-river work on the Hudson River Ground Stabilization (HRGS) Project, the HTP’s first heavy construction contract. When HRGS construction begins in July, the HTP will have more than $1 billion worth of construction activity in the ground.
The HRGS Project joins active construction sites for the Hudson Yards Concrete Casing– Section 3 on Manhattan’s west side and the Tonnelle Avenue Bridge and Utility Relocation Project in North Bergen, N.J. Having launched this month, the Tonnelle Avenue EarthCam now documents daily progress on the HTP. GDC expects to award additional contracts for work on the Palisades and Manhattan Tunnels before the end of 2024.
GDC’s cover letter to the FTA to reach the FFGA can be found here.
