The basics:

• Gateway Development Commission awards $711.7M contract for NJ Surface Alignment
• Project will connect the future Hudson Tunnel to the Northeast Corridor
• Construction is scheduled to begin in 2026
• 7 of the Hudson Tunnel Project’s 10 construction packages are underway or complete

The Gateway Development Commission on June 1 awarded a $711.7 million contract to Skanska Creamer Sanzari NJSA JV for the Hudson Tunnel Project’s New Jersey Surface Alignment. The key segment will connect the future tunnel under the Hudson River to the Northeast Corridor rail line in New Jersey.

The project will build approximately 1.5 miles of new infrastructure stretching from County Road in Secaucus to the future tunnel portal at Tonnelle Avenue in North Bergen. The work will create the foundation for future rail tracks that will link the new tunnel to existing Northeast Corridor service. Construction is expected to begin in 2026.

The contract covers a range of heavy civil work, including:

• 4,170 feet of retaining walls and embankment construction alongside existing rail lines
• 3,150-foot viaduct over Meadowlands wetlands
• Bridges over Secaucus Road and freight rail tracks
• Utility relocations and supporting infrastructure such as drainage systems and access roads

Tracks, signals and other railroad systems will be installed under a future construction package.

Moving forward

Gov. Mikie Sherrill called the award “another major step forward for the most important infrastructure project in America.”

“One of the Hudson Tunnel Project construction packages is complete and six are now underway, creating tens of thousands of good-paying jobs, generating billions in economic activity for the region and the country, and building a reliable and resilient transportation system riders can depend on,” said Sherrill.

In a joint statement, GDC co-Chairs Alicia Glen and Balpreet Grewal-Virk, along with Vice Chair Tony Coscia, said, “The Hudson Tunnel Project is moving forward quickly, and we can’t afford to lose momentum.”

They noted that GDC awarded a contract in April for the tunnel segment beneath the Hudson River. They added, “Today we awarded the contract to build the infrastructure that will enable us to integrate the new tunnel into the Northeast Corridor.”

The commissioners also highlighted the project’s near-term benefits, saying, “We don’t have to wait until the tunnel opens to feel the benefits of these contract awards,” because the new construction projects will create thousands of jobs in addition to those already supported by active Hudson Tunnel Project work.

‘Firing on all cylinders’

Gateway CEO Tom Prendergast said, “Awarding the contract for Package 3: The New Jersey Surface Alignment is another important milestone for the Hudson Tunnel Project and further evidence of the momentum we are building across our construction program. Seven of the construction packages that make up the Hudson Tunnel Project are now in progress or completed, and we are firing on all cylinders at our construction sites in New York and New Jersey.”

Prendergast said the New Jersey Surface Alignment is one of the more complicated elements of the program because of both the variety of work involved and its location adjacent to active rail operations and within portions of the environmentally sensitive Meadowlands.

He said, “The NJ Surface Alignment Project is a uniquely complex project because of the wide variety of work involved and location,” adding that it “will require extensive coordination and careful planning.” He also said the Skanska Creamer Sanzari team has “a proven track record and the expertise needed to get the job done.”

The New Jersey Surface Alignment will build 7,540 feet of infrastructure from County Road in Secaucus to the tunnel portal at Tonnelle Avenue in North Bergen. In addition to retaining walls and viaducts, the project includes bridges over Secaucus Road and existing Conrail and New York, Susquehanna & Western freight rail lines, along with utility relocations, drainage structures, access roads and equipment platforms.

Take a tour of the Hudson Tunnel Project (courtesy of GDC):

How the JV was chosen

The contractor was selected through a competitive procurement process and proposed seven Alternative Technical Concepts that GDC determined would help reduce costs, minimize environmental impacts and improve long-term maintenance while meeting all project requirements. The board also approved the project’s Market Case Estimate and authorized GDC’s CEO to issue a notice to proceed.

The award means seven of the Hudson Tunnel Project’s 10 construction packages are now completed or underway.

Separately, commissioners approved the appointment of John Bartlett as the commission’s general counsel. Bartlett, most recently a partner at Murphy Orlando LLC and a Passaic County commissioner, will oversee legal matters related to the agency’s operations and delivery of the Hudson Tunnel Project. The board also formally appointed Maria Anderson as chief ethics and compliance officer and board secretary after she had been serving in those roles on an acting basis.

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 5:10 p.m. June 1, 2026, to clarify the bulleted list to note the contract includes the building of bridges over Secaucus Road and freight rail tracks.