The Tonnelle Avenue Bridge and Utility Relocation Project is a major early work component of the Hudson Tunnel Project involving the relocation of utilities and the construction of a new roadway bridge for Tonnelle Avenue in North Bergen, New Jersey.

The new road bridge will be located immediately above a new future railroad right-of-way, which will allow for a connection to the new tunnel portal at the western slope of the New Jersey Palisades. It will also provide construction access between the staging sites on either side of Tonnelle Avenue, as well as access to the entry point for the TBMs that will dig the Palisades Tunnel portion of the project.

Construction is now under way on both sides of the Hudson River. Earlier in November, work began in Manhattan on the Hudson Yards Concrete Casing – Section 3, an essential right-of-way preservation project that guarantees the new tunnel’s connection to New York Penn Station.

“As we break ground on this side of the Hudson alongside our partners from Washington and New York, we edge one step closer to making our bold vision for the Gateway Project a reality,” said New Jersey governor Phil Murphy.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul added after “decades of delays” the Gateway Program was finally moving forward.

NJ Transit president and CEO Kevin S Corbett said the ground breaking marked an important milestone for the new crossing.

“While our Portal North Bridge Replacement Project is 30% complete and proceeding at an incredible pace, the Hudson Tunnel Project is the most critical infrastructure project in the country given our region’s role as the centre of global commerce,” he said.

Following a publicly advertised bidding process, the GDC Board made its first direct contract awards for work on the Tonnelle Avenue Project in September 2023. Naik Consulting Group, P.C. is providing expert professional construction management and related technical services for the Tonnelle Avenue Project, while Conti Civil, LLC is responsible for construction of the project. The Tonnelle Avenue Project is expected to be completed by autumn 2025.