The following are important dates for the construction of the $16 billion Hudson Tunnel Project that is overseen by the Gateway Development Commission.
Feb. 7, 2011 – The tunnel project was unveiled as the Gateway Project in 2011, one year after the cancellation of a similar Access to the Region’s Core (ARC) project. The initiative was projected to cost $13.5 billion.
Dec. 7, 2012 – After Superstorm Sandy, Amtrak requested $276 million from Congress to upgrade damaged infrastructure that would also eventually support trains running along the new Gateway Project right-of-way.
November 2016 – The Gateway Development Corp. was created and announced by Amtrak.
Dec. 29, 2017 – It was reported that a letter from a Trump administration Federal Transit Administration official stated that the Gateway Program was a “local” project, putting federal funding for the project in doubt.
May 28, 2021 – Under the new Biden administration, the project was formally approved by the federal government.
July 5, 2022 – New Jersey and New York officials each agreed to pay 25% of the project’s cost and the federal government would pay 50% under an agreement. In Aug. 31, 2022, the Gateway Development Commission announced the new tunnels would be completed in 2035 at a total cost of $16.1 billion.
Nov. 8, 2023 – Tunnel construction began. The new tunnel is scheduled to open in 2035, with the renovation of the existing North River Tunnels to be completed by 2038.
July 8, 2024 – The Gateway Development Commission signed a full funding grant agreement with the Federal Transit Administration for $6.88 billion in federal funding for the Hudson Tunnel Project.
Oct. 1, 2025 – Trump administration Office of Management and Budget director Russell Vought withheld a combined $18 billion for the tunnel project and the Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 project, saying diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices in contracts were unconstitutional. President Trump declared the tunnel project was dead. Work was able to continue because the project obtained a line of credit.
Feb. 2, 2026 – The Gateway Development Commission filed a lawsuit against the federal government in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims seeking judgment that would release contractually obligated grant and loan funds for the Hudson Tunnel Project.                                                                             Feb. 3, 2026 – Attorneys general for New York and New Jersey sued the federal government over what they say was an unlawful suspension of funding for the tunnel project.
Feb. 6, 2026 – A suspension of funds forced tunnel construction to be halted, idling 1,000 workers. At that point, $2 billion had been spent on the project.
Feb. 6, 2026 – Federal government was ordered by U.S. District Court Judge Jeannette A. Vargas to resume reimbursement payments for the project.
Feb. 8, 2026 – The federal government filed notice that they were appealing that ruling.
Feb. 12, 2026 – The U.S. Court of Appeals declined to overrule the lower court ruling made by Judge Vargas.
Feb. 13, 2026 – The Gateway Development Commission said it received the first disbursement of $30 million from the federal government and expects to receive the full $205 million in reimbursement funds.
Feb. 18, 2026 – Gateway Development Commission announced Feb. 18 that the federal government has released the remainder of the $205 million in funding for the Hudson Tunnel Project.
Feb. 24, 2026 – The Gateway Development Commission (GDC) said that construction of the $16 billion Hudson Tunnel Project (HTP) is resuming this week. Nearly 1,000 jobs that were impacted by a construction pause that began on Feb. 6 will be restored.
March 11, 2026 – The Trump administration lost another round in court over funding for the Hudson Tunnel project, with a federal appeals court rejecting the administration’s attempt to halt payments for the $16 billion tunnel project.
Mid-late 2026 – First tunnel boring machine scheduled to begin excavating from North Bergen toward Manhattan.
By 2027 – Hudson River ground stabilization scheduled to be completed. New Jersey tunnel approach through the Palisades scheduled to be advancing.
By 2029 – Major tunneling scheduled to be finished. Manhattan tunnel connections largely in place.​
By 2035 – New two‑tube Hudson River tunnel scheduled to open to passenger service.
By 2038 – Rehabilitation of the existing North River tunnel damaged by Superstorm Sandy scheduled to be finished; four operating tubes scheduled to double trans‑Hudson rail capacity.
