A New York federal judge ordered the Trump administration to unfreeze more than $16 billion for the Hudson River rail tunnel project, saying delaying funding would irreparably harm a critical cross-state infrastructure effort and allowing construction to continue.
Construction on the $16 billion Hudson River rail tunnel linking New York and New Jersey could pause in early February if federal funding is not released, risking about 1,000 layoffs and four of five work sites going dark. The Gateway Development Commission’s $500 million Bank of America line of credit is nearly exhausted, prompting talks of a backstop such as a letter of credit from the Port Authority of NY/NJ. The Trump administration has signaled opposition and threatened to defund the project, while federal skeptics say funding remains uncertain despite past pledges from the Biden administration to cover most costs; past stoppages—like New Jersey’s 2009 pull of state funding—highlight the fragility of large-scale infrastructure procurement.