President Biden Announces Funding for Gateway Hudson Tunnel Project with Union Jobs

President Biden was in NYC on Tuesday announcing a $292 million Mega grant to help complete an early phase of the Hudson Tunnel project, part of the Gateway Program. The project will renovate the tunnel beneath the Hudson between New Jersey and Manhattan, a long-delayed upgrade after decades in which the government underfunded infrastructure.

The existing North River Tunnel is over 100 years old, built to early 20th century standards, opened for service in 1910, and is the only passenger rail tunnel connecting New York and New Jersey. It facilitates more than 200,000 passenger trips per weekday on more than 450 Amtrak and NJ Transit trains servicing New York Penn Station.

Amtrak expects the Hudson Tunnel Project will result in 72,000 direct and indirect jobs during construction, with union partnerships for job training. Union leaders and members from across the City and region were in attendance for Tuesday's event.

"Look, folks, I’ve said it many times: Wall Street is important, but it didn’t build this country," the President said in his remarks. "The middle class built the country. And unions built the middle class." Watch the announcement here and read more from ABC7, AP News and The Chief.