During its Feb. 16 board meeting, the Gateway Development Commission (GDC) took several notable actions. Among them, awarding the first heavy construction contract for the Hudson River Ground Stabilization (HRGS) Project.

Following a public bidding process and an extensive multi-stakeholder review, Weeks Marine Inc. was awarded the work. The total contract price is $284 million, along with approval of a Market Case Estimate and the authorization of a Notice to Proceed for Phase One for an amount not to exceed $100 million.

The moves mark continued momentum for GDC, the organization tasked with overseeing what is described as the nation’s most critical infrastructure project. NJBIZ has extensively covered the initiative, including in a recent NJBIZ Editorial Board with GDC leadership.

The commission says the HRGS Project is a critical aspect of the overall Hudson Tunnel Project (HTP). That’s because it modifies conditions in the Hudson River to allow for future construction. The work involves injecting a mix of soil, concrete and water to stabilize the riverbed in 1,200 feet of the shallow area on the Manhattan side. According to GDC, this ensures that the Tunnel Boring Machine can excavate the new tunnel while protecting the riverbed from disruption.

The award ensures the HRGS Project can begin this year. It joins ongoing construction on both sides of the Hudson, which NJBIZ has reported on.

One step closer

Phase One is expected to begin this spring and run until the fall. The work includes surveying as well as the design and construction of a test cofferdam. Phase Two, expected to begin this fall and last until spring 2027, includes the design and construction of remaining work related to the HRGS Project.

“By authorizing the Hudson Tunnel Project’s first heavy construction work, we are one step closer to crossing the Rubicon and securing this tunnel’s future,” said Alicia Glen, New York GDC commissioner and co-chair; Balpreet Grewal-Virk New Jersey GDC commissioner and co-chair; and Tony Coscia, Amtrak commissioner and vice chair, in a joint statement.

During the NJBIZ Editorial Board, those three commissioners stressed the Gateway Program’s inevitability.

“Work is on-track and there can be no turning back on the 21st century transportation experience our riders have long been waiting for,” the commissioners continued.

Other notable authorizations from the Feb. 16 GDC board meeting include:

• $510 million in Amtrak past costs, which will credit toward Amtrak’s overall contribution to HTP
• A Second Amendment to the Project Development Agreement
• The delegation of authority to the GDC chief executive officer [Kris Kolluri] in connection with employee benefit plans
• The GDC annual board meeting schedule for 2024

In the Feb. 16 press release, Kolluri applauded the leadership and support from the federal and state levels as well as from the GDC and its board. He described the project’s progress as “an ongoing testament to American infrastructure at its best.”

“The year is starting off the same way last year ended, with GDC hitting our milestones to make sure the most urgent infrastructure project in the nation is built,” said Kolluri.

Stay tuned for part two of NJBIZ’s Editorial Board with GDC leadership.