The Gateway Development Commission (GDC) has awarded a contract worth $1.18bn to a joint venture between Frontier-Kemper Constructors, Tutor Perini, and others (Frontier-Kemper-Tutor-Perini JV) for the Manhattan Tunnel Project.
GDC, which authorised the notice to proceed with the construction, also approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to the project labour agreement with the unions that will be working on the project.
The Manhattan Tunnel Project will build a part of the new Hudson Tunnel Project (HTP), with construction expected to begin in the coming months, and completion anticipated in 2029.
It includes building tubes from the Manhattan Bulkhead in the Hudson River to the cut-and-cover Hudson Yards Concrete Casing east of 12th Avenue.
According to a preliminary estimate by EY, the project would create 15,800 new jobs.
The project will remove obstructions to the tunnel boring machines digging under the Bulkhead and into Manhattan and protect the existing Bulkhead and sewer lines.
GDC New York commissioner and co-chair Alicia Glen, New Jersey commissioner and co-chair Balpreet Grewal Virk, and Amtrak commissioner and vice chair Tony Coscia, in a joint statement 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.”
The Manhattan Tunnel project is a part of the Gateway Program, a major infrastructure programme aimed at improving railway services across the Northeast Corridor (NEC).
The project requires complex tunnelling activities, including multiple sewer lines and live utilities, the Manhattan Bulkhead, and mitigating other obstructions.
Based on the historic fill along Manhattan’s western shore, obstructions could range from archaeological findings to concrete slabs and debris.
The project also includes clearing the remaining pile foundations from both the West Side Highway that collapsed in 1973 and existing sewer utilities.
The JV proposed to excavate the tunnel using a protective digging shield method, with most of the construction carried out underground, improving safety and reducing potential impacts.
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.”
