Gateway Development Commission awards $1.18 billion Manhattan Tunnel Project contract to Frontier-Kemper-Tutor-Perini JV

The Gateway Development Commission (GDC) Board of Commissioners has awarded the $1.18 billion contract for the Manhattan Tunnel Project to Frontier-Kemper-Tutor-Perini JV and authorized the notice to proceed with construction. The commissioners also approved a memorandum of understanding to the project labor agreement previously approved by the board, with the unions that will be working on the project. 

GDC notes construction of the Manhattan Tunnel Project, which is part of the Hudson Tunnel Project (HTP), is expected to begin in the coming months, with substantial completion anticipated in 2029. The Manhattan Tunnel Project will build the section of the new HTP tubes from the Manhattan Bulkhead in the Hudson River to the cut-and-cover Hudson Yards Concrete Casing east of 12th Ave. The project will also remove obstructions that could slow or damage the tunnel boring machines digging the portion of the tunnel passing under the Bulkhead and into Manhattan and will protect and support existing features, including the Bulkhead and sewer lines. 

“Today’s contract award for the Manhattan Tunnel Project represents another major milestone for the Gateway Program. As I’ve said before, we are all systems go. The Hudson Tunnel Project and its approaches are vital to the economic health and resilience of New York,” said U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY). 

In a joint statement, New York GDC Commissioner and Co-Chair Alicia Glenn, New Jersey GDC Commissioner and Co-Chair Balpreet GrewalVirk and GDC Amtrak Commissioner and Vice Chair Tony Coscia said, “The Manhattan Tunnel Project contract is an important step forward for the HTP that keeps us on pace to deliver the most urgent infrastructure project in the country. Even more important, it is a major win for workers. In the months and years ahead, this project will create thousands of good jobs and drive millions in economic activity. These workers will join the more than 7,500 construction workers who are already building other HTP projects. These men and women are working hard to deliver for us, and it is important that we keep this project moving forward for them.” 

GDC notes that in total, the Manhattan Tunnel Project will require designing and building approximately 700 feet of twin 30-foot diameter tunnels. The portion to the east of 12th Ave. will be permanent. The portion between the Manhattan Bulkhead and 12th Ave. will be a temporary tunnel shell with the primary purpose of clearing the pathway for the future final tunnel to be installed by tunnel boring machines. The project also includes designing and building an access shaft at 12th Ave. that will be converted into a permanent ventilation facility for the new tunnel. 

According to GDC, the Manhattan Tunnel Project requires complex tunneling activities, including navigating multiple major sewer lines and live utilities, the Manhattan Bulkhead and any other obstructions that the team may encounter and need to remove. 

GDC says that due to the presence of historic fill along Manhattan’s western shore, obstructions could range from archeological findings to concrete slabs and debris. The project will also clear pile foundations remaining from both the West Side Highway that collapsed in 1973 and existing sewer utilities.  

GDC notes to provide the flexibility needed to navigate these obstacles, Frontier-Kemper-Tutor-Perini JV has proposed excavating the tunnel using a protective digging shield, which would enable the majority of construction to take place underground, improving safety and significantly reducing the impacts of construction on surface roads and sidewalks. 

GDC CEO Tom Prendergast said, “I am proud to begin my tenure as CEO of GDC by awarding this  contract to a highly qualified team that I am confident will successfully deliver this vital aspect of the HTP. The Manhattan Tunnel Project is one of the most technically complex pieces of the HTP. Building anything underground in Manhattan requires careful planning and expert execution, as I know from overseeing multiple subway expansion projects. I look forward to working together with the Frontier-Kemper-Tutor-Perini team, as well as GDC’s partners on Manhattan’s West Side, to complete this critical component of this vital infrastructure project.” 

According to GDC, following a publicly advertised bidding process, proposals were reviewed by an evaluation panel consisting of technical experts and representatives from GDC, the state of New York, New Jersey Transit, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and Amtrak.  

In addition to the items related to the Manhattan Tunnel Project contract, the GDC Board of Commissioners approved the creation of a stipend program to support the New Jersey Surface Alignment (NJSA) Project procurement process. GDC says the program will provide a stipend for work products to teams that submit bids for the NJSA Project but do not win the contract. According to GDC, given the complexity of the NJSA Project, this stipend program is necessary to enable teams to invest the resources needed to prepare an innovative, price-certain responsive bid. 

GDC notes it will retain rights to the intellectual property, ideas, techniques, concepts and approaches contained in all proposals from teams that receive stipends and any other relevant work product that they create as part of the procurement process.