Officials marked the launch of the first tunnel boring machine for the Gateway project on Monday in North Bergen, New Jersey, advancing plans for two new rail tunnels linking the state with Manhattan’s Penn Station.
The new tunnels are intended to increase rail capacity and make journeys more reliable along one of the country’s busiest passenger rail routes. The existing Hudson River tunnels opened in 1910 and were damaged by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Gateway officials say those tunnels cannot undergo major repairs until the new ones are operating.
Monday’s event was a ceremonial start: the first machine still requires several days of testing and is expected to begin excavating rock by October 13. A second machine is being assembled. The equipment will initially dig through the Palisades before other machines take on the softer ground beneath the river.
The approximately $16 billion tunnel project is a central part of the broader Gateway program. The new tunnels are currently scheduled to open in 2035, so passengers will not see immediate changes to their commutes.
