A cross-harbor rail tunnel has been considered by the Port Authority for decades, and environmentalists like the idea, asserting a tunnel would eliminate 500,000 truck trips a year from the George Washington and Staten Island Bridges, as well as highways and local streets.
A freight tunnel beneath New York Harbor would transform the infrastructure in the region, providing much-needed relief for nearby tunnels and bridges. Other options are being considered, and we are still years away from starting construction. Read the full story on NJ.com.
Big infrastructure ideas are always met with incredulity and skepticism. In a way it’s understandable–they are often huge investments and represent big change. But when they are completed they have a profound impact. Imagine life without the George Washington Bridge, or the Driscoll Bridge, or the New Jersey Turnpike.
Choosing the cheaper option is not always the best solution either. The Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan, for example, reached capacity within 16 years of being constructed, and commuters have been living with that short sightedness ever since. We must remember that projects like this live on for decades and longer
Projects like this freight tunnel, the recently completed New Jersey Turnpike Widening Project (finished on time and $200 million under budget), and the ongoing raising of the Bayonne Bridge to accommodate larger cargo ships, make it clear that New Jersey is serious about maintaining its leadership in shipping and logistics, and the jobs and economic growth that comes with it. The new warehouses along the Turnpike are proof that infrastructure helps the economy.
