GDC Approves HRGS Project Change Order

In-water work in the Hudson River to prepare the riverbed for tunnel boring. (May 2026)

GDC

NEWARK/NEW YORK - The Gateway Development Commission (GDC) Board of Commissioners approved a change order to the Hudson River Ground Stabilization (HRGS) project contract.

This change to the project contract includes removing an estimated 500 submerged wooden piles that remain from Pier 68 demolition. Removing these piles and performing this ground stabilization work will reduce the likelihood of the tunnel boring machines encountering obstacles during future work, says the GDC. The GDC also reported that during feedback from potential bidders during the procurement process for the Hudson River Tunnel Section, it affirmed the need to address the removal of the piles prior to tunnel boring.

The GDC’s CEO is authorized by the Board to execute the change order, valued at $88 million, with Weeks Marine, the current contractor performing the HRGS project. Work is scheduled to begin later this year. The HRGS project addresses potential obstacles during tunnel boring by removing obstructions from the tunnel boring route and mixing lightweight concrete into the riverbed to ensure it is firm enough for machines to dig through, according to the release. The project prepares a section of riverbed measuring 1,200 feet by 100 feet. Work began in 2024 in the middle of Hudson River and is moving east toward Manhattan. In 2025, Weeks Marine removed a smaller number of piles in order to understand the amount of work required to prepare this upcoming section for tunnel boring. The information gleaned from this work informed the change order.

In ground stabilization, there is a temporary cofferdam that shields the work area from water currents to allow for construction to take place all year. Throughout construction, the contractor moves the cofferdam in order to enclose a new section of the river. These movements are “carefully timed” in order to comply with environmental requirements.

The approved change order extends that work area 265 feet closer to Manhattan and addresses the remaining work piles that need to be removed. Along with removing submerged piles and extending a temporary cofferdam, the GDC says key work elements include first performing a riverbed survey to locate said submerged piles and performing ground improvement to strengthen the riverbed once those piles are removed.

In a joint statement, 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 said, “Two years ago today, GDC signed the Full Funding Agreement for the Hudson Tunnel Project. The progress we have made since then is undeniable. The first Hudson Tunnel Project construction package is complete and six more packages are in progress. Today, we took an important action to ensure we maintain this momentum as we move forward with tunnel boring.”

Two years prior, the GDC entered into the Full Funding Agreement for the Hudson Tunnel Project. The signing of this agreement was the last step “to secure the entire $16 billion funding commitment needed to deliver the project.”

The joint statement continued, “We would not be here today without the support of our partners who fought to secure funding for the Hudson Tunnel Project, especially Governor Hochul and Governor Sherrill. We remain committed to working collaboratively with all our partners to deliver the reliable, modern rail system our region needs.”

GDC CEO Tom Prendergast said, “A project as large and complex as the Hudson Tunnel Project brings new challenges every day. The progress we have made in the two years since we signed our Full Funding Grant Agreement was not guaranteed when the agreement was signed. It is the result of hundreds of men and women showing up and working hard day in and day out for the past two years. . . Today’s Board action shows how GDC makes progress by thinking ahead, anticipating problems, and taking proactive action. This forward thinking approach has been the foundation of our success for the past two years, and we will continue to bring this same rigor to the project until it is finished. The Hudson Tunnel Project is too important for anything less.”