The new official overseeing the nation’s biggest infrastructure project — the $16 billion Gateway rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River — says the work is moving ahead on schedule and there is no indication the Trump administration may try to impede it.

Tom Prendergast, who previously led the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, was appointed CEO of the Gateway Development Commission in January. He sat down with Spectrum News for an interview earlier this week in Washington, which he was visiting for meetings.

What You Need To Know

  • The new official overseeing the nation’s biggest infrastructure project — the $16 billion Gateway rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River — says the work is moving ahead on schedule and there is no indication the Trump administration may try to impede it

  • He says of the approximately 10 smaller construction projects that make up the overall tunnel project, five are already in progress, including building the final section of an underground passageway that connects Penn Station to what will be the new tunnel
  • The new CEO stood by the previously announced timeline for completing the new tunnel, saying 2035 is “definitely” the plan
  • The current tunnels are more than 100 years old, and sustained damage after Superstorm Sandy

“Now we’ve got the money, we’ve got the commitment. It’s our job to deliver this program: scope, schedule and budget,” Prendergast said.

He says of the approximately 10 smaller construction projects that make up the overall tunnel project, five are already in progress. That includes building the final section of an underground passageway that connects Penn Station to what will be the new tunnel.

Work is also underway, for example, on stabilizing the bottom of the Hudson River, so it is secure enough to withstand upcoming boring work.

The current tunnels are more than 100 years old, and sustained damage after Superstorm Sandy.

Last year, the Gateway commission finally secured full funding for the long-sought construction of the new tubes — a moment the previous CEO dubbed the “point of no return” for the project, regardless of who occupied the White House going forward.

The last time Donald Trump was president, he was accused of slow-walking the project.

Asked if he is afraid the second Trump White House could attempt to do something similar, Prendergast said, “We haven’t seen it.”

“We’ve maintained that momentum established in getting the full fund granting agreement, and we’ve had an ongoing dialog, and we’ve seen nothing to indicate that that’s the case,” he said, noting they have been keeping the new administration up to speed on their work.

The new CEO stood by the previously announced timeline for completing the new tunnel, saying 2035 is “definitely” the plan.

Rehabilitating the existing, century-old tunnel is then projected to be finished three years later, in 2038.