New York’s The Gateway Development Commission (GDC) Board of Commissioners awarded the contract for the Manhattan Tunnel Project to Frontier-Kemper-Tutor-Perini JV and authorized the notice to proceed with construction.
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The Commissioners also approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to the Project Labor Agreement previously approved by the Board with the unions that will be working on the project.
Construction of this portion of the Hudson Tunnel Project (HTP) is expected to begin in the coming months, with substantial completion anticipated in 2029.
According to a preliminary estimate by EY, construction of the project will create 15,800 new jobs.
The Manhattan Tunnel Project will build the section of the new Hudson Tunnel Project tubes from the Manhattan Bulkhead in the Hudson River to the cut-and-cover Hudson Yards Concrete Casing east of 12th Avenue.
The project will also remove obstructions that could slow or damage the tunnel boring machines digging the portion of the tunnel passing under the Bulkhead and into Manhattan and will protect and support existing features, including the Bulkhead and sewer lines.
In total, the Manhattan Tunnel Project will require designing and building approximately 700 feet of twin 30-foot diameter tunnels. The portion to the east of 12th Avenue will be permanent.
The portion between the Manhattan Bulkhead and 12th Avenue will be a temporary tunnel shell with the primary purpose of clearing the pathway for the future final tunnel to be installed by tunnel boring
machines.
The project also includes designing and building an access shaft at 12th Avenue that will ultimately be converted into a permanent ventilation facility for the new tunnel.
The Manhattan Tunnel project requires complex tunneling activities, including navigating multiple major sewer lines and live utilities, the Manhattan Bulkhead, and any other obstructions that the team may encounter and need to remove.
Due to the presence of historic fill along Manhattan’s western shore, obstructions could range from archeological findings to concrete slabs and debris.
The project will also clear pile foundations remaining from both the West Side Highway that collapsed in 1973 and existing sewer utilities.
To provide the flexibility needed to navigate these obstacles, the selected contractor has proposed excavating the tunnel using a protective digging shield.
These methods would enable the majority of construction to take place underground, improving safety and significantly reducing the impacts of construction on surface roads and sidewalks.
Following a publicly advertised bidding process, proposals were reviewed by an Evaluation Panel consisting of technical experts and representatives from GDC, the State of New York, NJ TRANSIT, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), and Amtrak. Frontier-Kemper-Tutor-Perini JV was selected through a competitive evaluation of technical and price proposals.
The award the GDC Board approved includes $1.18 billion for the total contract price. ■