Weeks Marine and Cowi have taken on the first major construction contract for the Hudson River Tunnel Project, valued at $284 million, marking a significant step in the $16 billion Gateway Program aimed at improving rail service between New Jersey and New York City.

The design-build contract for the Hudson River Ground Stabilization Project was awarded earlier this year by the Gateway Development Commission to Weeks Marine, a subsidiary of Kiewit. In an Oct. 29 news release, Cowi, the Danish civil engineering firm, confirmed it will act as the design manager and engineer of record for the project.

This work is part of the broader Gateway Program, which aims to double the capacity of Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor rail service, linking New Jersey to Manhattan. Preliminary work is already underway, including the design for the containment structure, with a test cofferdam completed in October. Full-scale construction is set to begin next summer.

The Hudson Tunnel Project includes building a new two-track rail tunnel under the Hudson River and rehabilitating the existing 110-year-old tunnel, which was severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. This tunnel has become a significant bottleneck for commuters, and President Joe Biden has called the Gateway Program “one of the biggest, most consequential projects in the country.”

Weeks Marine will focus on stabilizing and modifying the riverbed near the Manhattan shoreline to prepare for the tunnel boring machine, which will excavate the new tunnel. This work will also protect the riverbed from disruption, as explained in a LinkedIn post by Kiewit, based in Omaha, Nebraska.

Cowi will oversee the creation of a temporary containment structure to protect the riverbed as it collaborates with Weeks Marine and ground improvement subcontractor Keller Group. The stabilization process will be carried out in two 600-foot sections, with work sequenced to minimize disruptions to vessel traffic, according to Cowi.

The entire ground stabilization effort is expected to be completed by 2027.