PROJECT COST: $8.7 Billion
Construction began on the $8.7 billion, 9-mi Access to the Region's Core Trans-Hudson Express Tunnel in June. Two new, twin tunnels will enable NJ TRANSIT to more than double service capacity to Midtown Manhattan's Penn Station from New Jersey.
"The current tunnels are 100 years old this year and are in fine shape and served us well, but the ridership demand has grown to the point there are bottlenecks," says Paul L. Wyckoff, spokesperson for Access to the Region's Core, a project of NJ TRANSIT and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
NJ TRANSIT anticipates Trans-Hudson Express Tunnel will allow it to meet future ridership demand, projected to grow from 46 million annual trips to more than 90 million during the next 20 years, and it will create transfer-free rides for travelers on 11 of the transit authority's 12 rail lines.
The transit authority selected THE CM Consortium, a joint venture consisting of Tishman Construction Corp., Parsons Transportation Group and ARUP, all with offices in New York, as well as a number of sub-consultants, to serve as the project controls and construction management services consultant for the Trans-Hudson Tunnel.
THE Partnership, a partnership among Parsons Brinckerhoff, AECOM and STV, all with offices in New York, provided engineering services.
The project began in North Bergen, N.J., with Ferreira Construction of Branchburg, N.J., starting work on a $13.6 million underpass at Tonnelle Ave. for the two new trail tracks. Design and construction of the two tunnel segments-under the Palisades Mountain in New Jersey and Manhattan-should start this year.
Schiavone/Shea/Skanska, Joint Venture of Secaucus, New Jersey received the contract for the Palisades segment at $258.7 million, approved by the NJ TRANSIT board of directors in January 2010. The team includes Schiavone Construction Co. of Secacus; J.F. Shea Construction of Walnut, Calif.; and Skanska USA Civil of New York.
The NJ TRANSIT board of directors approved a construction contract in December, awarding a joint venture between Barnard of New Jersey, part of Barnard Construction of Bozeman, Mont., and Judlau Contracting of College Point, N.Y., to design and build the $583 million Manhattan Tunnel segment.
Five companies have been prequalified to design and build the third tunnel under the Hudson. The project also will expand the station under 34th Street with direct connections to subway lines and establish a mid-day train storage yard.
Funding includes $3 billion from the Port Authority; $3 billion from the Federal New Starts transit funding program; and $2.7 billion from a combination of $130 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, federal clean air dollars, and money from the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. The project is expected to reduce Turnpike traffic by 22,000 cars daily. It is expected to generate and sustain 6,000 jobs annually in peak construction years.
Key Players:
Owner: NJ Transit and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Construction Management Firm: The CM Consortium, a tri-venture of Tishman Construction Corp., Parsons Transportation Group and ARUP, all with New York offices
Engineer: THE Partnership, composed of Parsons Brinckerhoff, AECOM and STV, all with offices in New York
