The North Bergen Board of Commissioners approved a measure opposing the potential shutdown of the Gateway Tunnel project at last week’s meeting.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“This project brings tens of thousands of jobs, strengthens our regional transit system, and ensures our residents and businesses remain connected to New York and beyond,” Mayor Nick Sacco said in a statement.
“Any effort to halt or delay construction would be short-sighted and detrimental to working families and commuters alike. The Gateway Tunnel is not just an investment in transportation, it’s an investment in the future of North Bergen and the entire New Jersey economy.”
The roughly $16 billion dollar infrastructure project is designed to build nine miles of new passenger rail track, including a two-tube tunnel under the Hudson River, and to rehabilitate the existing century-old tunnels that were damaged during Superstorm Sandy in 2012.
It is also projected to generate $42.8 billion of economic activity and nearly 100,000 jobs.
Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill (D) has said she will do whatever it takes to preserve the project, including suing the federal government after President Donald Trump (R) said last month that the project is “terminated.”
Jack Ciattarelli, the Republican gubernatorial nominee who lost to Sherrill and was endorsed by Sacco, a Democrat, also said he would “fight to get it done” if elected.
By adopting this resolution, North Bergen joins other municipalities, transit officials, and labor organizations advocating for the full completion of the Gateway Tunnel, recognizing the project’s critical role in supporting New Jersey’s workforce and regional economy.
The non-binding resolution also calls on lawmakers and the Administration to ensure the project remains on schedule, protecting the jobs, safety, and transportation infrastructure that are vital to the region’s economic future.
