The U.S. Transportation Department has committed to finishing a crucial environmental review of a proposed Hudson River commuter-rail tunnel by the end of May, according to overseers of the project.
The move “is the latest demonstration of the Biden Administration’s clear resolve to expedite the project and start construction as soon as possible,” according to a statement by the Gateway Development Commission.
The online dashboard for the tunnel, between New Jersey and New York City, indicates that the review will be finished by May 28. If the study is clear, the $11.6 billion project could qualify for federal funding.
The new tunnel, and a rehabilitated century-old link, would ease a major Northeast U.S. bottleneck for Amtrak and NJ Transit trains. Amtrak says it will allow for twice as many trains to run under the Hudson River, including those that are part of its Northeast Corridor service that connects Boston, New York and Washington.
The project was stalled by former President Donald Trump.
The transportation department was to issue an Environmental Impact Statement record of decision in March 2018. Amtrak, owner of the existing flood-damaged tunnel, has warned that while it is safe, its decaying electrical and other components are increasingly unreliable.
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.