Gateway Project Is Short on Funding, But There's Enough Money to Get it Started

There's no long-term funding for a new Hudson River train tunnel that will expand service between New York and New Jersey, in large part due to President Donald Trump's opposition to the plan.

But supporters of the $30 billion Gateway Project say they have enough state and federal money available to get the job started.

"These are big, transformational projects, but they're actually made up of lots of small incremental projects along the way" said Stephen Sigmund, who was recently hired as the Gateway Development Corporation's director of public outreach.

Right now, Gateway is relying on annual federal spending bills and local funding while negotiating the big federal funding commitment required to complete the project. This year's budget includes $540 million that can be used for the massive infrastructure project. An initial version of next year's spending bill currently working its way through Congress has about the same amount.

Sigmund says Gateway won't be able to complete the project by piecemeal funding. But he said the money will get preliminary work started, such as building a pier needed to construct a replacement bridge over the Hackensack River.

Project leaders are also waiting on the federal Transportation Department's review of Gateway's environmental study.