OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM BERGEN COUNTY EXECUTIVE JIM TEDESCO

HACKENSACK, NJ - Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco issues the following statement on the potential shutdown of the Gateway Development Commission's Hudson Tunnel Project:

The Gateway Development Commission’s Hudson Tunnel Project is the most critical infrastructure project in the country, period.

The Gateway Program is the backbone of the Northeast Corridor,  the busiest passenger rail line in the United States. Every day, Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT riders depend on a 116-year-old North River Tunnel that has become a major source of delays. Modernizing and expanding this system isn’t optional, it’s essential for millions of commuters and for the economic health of our region.

If federal funding that has already been approved is not made available by February 6, construction will be forced to pause, resulting in the immediate loss of nearly 1,000 jobs. An extended shutdown would put more than 11,000 current construction jobs at risk and jeopardize the more than 95,000 construction jobs needed to complete this project across all phases, along with nearly $20 billion in anticipated economic activity.

That is why I fully support the legal action taken by the Gateway Development Commission in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims to compel the release of grant and loan funds the federal government is legally obligated to provide.

Every day, hundreds of thousands of commuters and businesses rely on this infrastructure. Commitments must be honored, workers must be protected, and this project must move forward without further delay.