GDC Awards HTP Construction Package 3 Contract

Rendering of NJ Surface Alignment Project.

GDC

NEWARK/NEW YORK - The Gateway Development Commission (GDC) awarded the contract for Hudson Tunnel Project Construction Package 3: New Jersey Surface Alignment.

GDC selected Skanska Creamer Sanzari NJSA JV for the NJ Surface Alignment Project to build 1.5 miles of new infrastructure from Secaucus to the tunnel portal at Tonnelle Avenue in North Bergen. This will support the installation of future tracks that will connect a new rail tunnel underneath the Hudson River to the existing NEC, GDC reports. As of reporting, seven of the ten construction packages for the Hudson Tunnel Project are currently in progress or completed.

Following a competitive process and proposal review, Skanska Creamer Sanzari NJSA JV was selected by an Evaluation Panel consisting of technical experts and representatives from GDC, NJ Transit, Amtrak, and the State of New York. The contract price for the project is $711,669,000, GDC reports. The contract includes seven Alternative Technical Concepts (ATCs) that were proposed by the contractor during the process. These ATCs are design or construction approaches that “incorporate innovative solutions from the private sector that differ from the project’s preliminary design while maintaining all technical, safety, and performance requirements.” The GDC reviewed these proposed ATCs and agreed that the changes will reduce costs and impacts to the environment while improving long-term infrastructure maintenance. As well, the GDC says the Board approved the Market Case Estimate (MCE) for the project and authorized a Notice to Proceed (NTP) to Skanska Creamer Sanzari NJSA JV.

The New Jersey Surface Alignment Project includes heavy civil design and construction work, says GDC. During this project, crews will build 4,170 feet of retaining walls and install lightweight concrete fill to create an embankment located next to existing NEC tracks. This is where new train tracks will run. Crews will also construct 3,150 feet of viaduct that will carry new tracks over wetlands in the Meadowlands. Over Secaucus Road and existing Contrail and New York Susquehanna and Western (NYSW) tracks, crews will build bridges. This project also includes infrastructure such as access roads, drainage structures, stairs, and equipment platforms. An auxiliary signal power substation and utilities will be relocated to protect water and sewer lines.

The location of the project provides a geographical challenge. GDC says the NJ Surface Alignment contractor will need to work alongside active train tracks. This necessitates extra safety precautions and coordination with railroad operators. Additionally, because the work takes place in the New Jersey Meadowlands, this work must be in compliance with environmental regulations.

The installation of tracks, signals, and other railroad systems will be part of another construction package awarded in the future.

“The Hudson Tunnel Project is moving forward quickly, and we can’t afford to lose momentum. That’s why we’re working overtime to award new contracts and keep construction moving efficiently and safely. Last month we awarded the contract for the section of the new tunnel under the Hudson River. Today we awarded the contract to build the infrastructure that will enable us to integrate the new tunnel into the Northeast Corridor,” said Alicia Glen, New York GDC Commissioner and Co-Chair, Balpreet Grewal-Virk, New Jersey GDC Commissioner and Co-Chair, and Tony Coscia, GDC Amtrak Commissioner and Vice Chair, in a joint statement. “We don’t have to wait until the tunnel opens to feel the benefits of these contract awards. Both of these new construction projects will create thousands of jobs in addition to the jobs supported by our active projects. We’re committed to delivering this critical project for the workers who are on site every day, and everyone else who takes the train into and out of New York City.”

“Awarding the contract for Package 3: The New Jersey Surface Alignment is another important milestone for the Hudson Tunnel Project and further evidence of the momentum we are building across our construction program. Seven of the construction packages that make up the Hudson Tunnel Project are now in progress or completed, and we are firing on all cylinders at our construction sites in New York and New Jersey,” said GDC CEO Tom Prendergast. “The NJ Surface Alignment Project is a uniquely complex project because of the wide variety of work involved and location. It will require extensive coordination and careful planning. Skanska Creamer Sanzari NJSA JV’s team has a proven track record and the expertise needed to get the job done, and we look forward to working with them to deliver this critical section of the Hudson Tunnel Project.”

Further Reading:

• GDC Awards Hudson Tunnel Project Construction Package 1C
• Hudson Tunnel Project Construction Resumes
• GDC Completes Manufacturing of First Two TBMs for HTP