Work on the “Gateway Tunnel” megaproject will resume next week, and workers who have been laid off since February 6 are now being notified to return to their jobs.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement that the federal government released the remaining $98 million in back funds for “Gateway,” and provided an additional $30 million in reimbursements for work completed in January.
According to Hochul, President Trump illegally suspended funding for the tunnel, jeopardizing the nation’s most important infrastructure project.
The governor noted that the disbursement was secured thanks to preliminary court victories and repeated conversations with the president about the need to maintain the flow of funds he had ordered frozen on February 6.
On Wednesday, the Gateway Development Commission began notifying contractors to prepare to resume work next week. Approximately 1,000 laid-off workers will return to their jobs at the tunnel entrances on both sides of the Hudson River.
As she stated on Tuesday during her visit to the construction site, Governor Hochul reminded President Trump of the federal government’s commitments to the tunnel, which will replace a century-old tunnel and serve more than 200,000 commuters daily on the Northeast Rail Corridor.
“I have told the President repeatedly that when he targets New York, we will fight back and we will not back down,” Hochul said. “Today’s progress is significant, but we need certainty that Gateway funding will remain in place for the duration of the project. The federal government has a legal obligation to fully fund Gateway, and New York will accept nothing less.”