(The following story by Larry Higgs appeared on the Asbury Park Press website on December 10, 2009.)
NEWARK, N.J. — The first of three tunnel-drilling contracts for the second Hudson River rail tunnel, which would begin work under the streets of Manhattan, was awarded Wednesday — with a second contract to start the bore on the Jersey side expected to be awarded in February.
NJ Transit’s board of directors awarded the $583 million contract amid speeches that included a statement from Gov. Jon S. Corzine and criticism by some transportation advocates for what’s considered the largest public transit project in the nation.
The biggest contract of the $8.7 million project so far was awarded to a joint consortium of Barnard of New Jersey and Judlau Contracting of College Point, N.Y., to build a mile of the tunnel in Manhattan. Judlau has built several New York subway projects and did tunnel work on the Long Island Railroad’s east side access project to Grand Central Terminal, according to its Web site.
Three companies bid on the contract, said Richard R. Sarles, NJ transit executive director.
“This will be an engine of growth, today, tomorrow and into the future,” Corzine said in his statement. “It will connect our state to $50 billion in revenue (estimated) to come back from New York. This will be a legacy for this generation.”
Job creation
Work on the first tunnel segment will create 1,000 jobs by 2010, and the overall project — which includes the tunnel and allied work to build tracks, a rail yard and underground station deep under 34th Street in Manhattan — will create 6,000 jobs annually during construction through 2013. Officials said it could create another 44,000 permanent jobs in New York.
Rail advocates who have maintained that the tunnel should connect to the current Penn Station complex in New York made a last plea for the board to vote down the contract and allow Gov.-elect Chris Christie’s administration to review the project.
“The contract at issue is a job creation project, but only for New York workers and not for New Jersey workers,” said David Peter Alan, chairman of the Lackawanna Commuter coalition. “The entire agenda today is a shameful exercise in spending scarce amounts of money before this governor leaves office.”
Sarles said he expects there will be equal distribution of jobs between residents of both states.
Other advocates disagreed with tunnel opponents.
“If you build it, they will come, and in the case of the tunnel, the riders are already here,” said Zoe Baldwin, Tri-State Transportation Campaign New Jersey advocate. “It will benefit New Jersey and the entire region.”
Officials were warned that any delay in the project could put $3 billion in federal funds at risk, which other states would be more than willing to snatch up, said Peter Palmer, Somerset County freeholder and former chairman of the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority.
Bids on 2nd phase
Next week, NJ Transit officials are scheduled to take bids on the second phase of actual tunnel drilling and construction through the Palisades on the New Jersey side of the river, which could be awarded early next year, Sarles said.
Representatives of minority-owned businesses and an urban construction trades training program questioned whether NJ Transit was meeting federal standards to insure that businesses owned by minorities had a chance to work on the project.
Sarles said that 40 firms designated as disadvantaged business enterprises are working on the tunnel project and have been awarded contracts totaling $35 million. Sarles also offered to meet with representatives.
In other business, the board amended an existing contract for final engineering and designs on a replacement for the 100-year-old Portal Bridge in the Jersey Meadows, which as late as last week got stuck in the open position, delaying trains to and from New York.
The $69 million contract with Portal Partners of Audubon, Pa., amends a July 2009 contract, and the board also approved an $18 million construction management contract with AECOM-STV Joint Venture.
The joint project with Amtrak to construct two bridges running parallel to the existing span is estimated to cost $1.7 billion and be completed by 2017.