Manufacturing of TBMs That Will Build Tunnel Under Hudson River Almost Complete
Written by Jennifer McLawhorn, Managing Editor
Shield for a TBM.
Courtesy of Herrenknecht AG
NEWARK/NEW YORK - The Gateway Development Commission (GDC) announced on Aug. 20 the tunnel boring machines that will build the first mile of the new rail tunnel under the Hudson River are almost complete.
According to the GDC, procurement, manufacture, and factory assembly of the first tunnel boring machine (TBM) is at 85% completion, and the second TBM is at 73% completion. The first TBM is expected to finish in the upcoming weeks, and both TBMs are expected to be manufactured by November. After, GDC says both TBMs will be shipped to New Jersey to be “reassembled on site.” In 2026, tunnel boring will begin.
TBM Manufacturing Photos
TBM photos courtesy of Herrenknecht AG
Once built, the TBMs will build the first mile of the new rail tunnel underneath the Hudson River “from Tonnelle Avenue in North Bergen to the access shaft in Hudson County.” These will bore the two tunnel tubes that run parallel and install the concrete liner behind them. It is expected that each TBM will bore 30 feet daily. When mining is paused for maintenance such as replacing disk cutters as needed, GDC says it will take an estimated one year to complete this section of both tubes.
Each TBM weights 1,680 tons and measures 28 feet and 8 inches in diameter. According to the release, the “gantries stretch back roughly 500 feet.” Throughout each TBM are more than 1,000 sensors that monitor the position of the TBM while it is underground, air quality inside the tunnel, wear and tear, and any other metrics to ensure safe tunneling operations.
GDC CEO Tom Prendergast said, “While we may use tunnel boring machines instead of picks and shovels to dig tunnels now, the process of building a concrete tube under a river is still a remarkable challenge. The TBMs that we will use the Hudson Tunnel Project are massive, highly complex machines, and it took nearly two years of construction to prepare for their arrival. Thousands of people across multiple construction teams are working incredibly hard to reach this important milestone on schedule.”
New York GDC Commissioner and Co-Chair Alicia Glen, New Jersey GDC Commissioner and Co-Chair Balpreet Grewal-Virk, and GDC Amtrak Commissioner and Vice Chair Tony Coscia said, “The start of tunnel boring next year will mark the beginning of a new chapter for the Hudson Tunnel Project. After decades of planning and years of preparatory construction, we will be building a much-needed new tunnel under the Hudson River. The photos from the factory show the size and complexity of the TBMs. We eagerly anticipate seeing these machines fully assembled and ready for launch next year.”
The GDC says representatives this fall will travel to the TBM factory to test and accept the machines. After testing is completed, each will be shipped to New Jersey to be reassembled and launched in North Bergen.
