The federal government is giving Amtrak $185 million to lay the groundwork for two flood-resistant rail tunnels beneath the Hudson River between New York and New Jersey.
The funds from the Sandy relief bill will help construct an 800-foot-long concrete casement between 10th and 11th avenues under Hudson Yards en route to Penn Station, Sen. Charles Schumer and US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced yesterday.
“When Sandy flooded our tunnels, it . . . demonstrated beyond a doubt we needed a new flood-resistant train tunnel into and out of Manhattan,” Schumer said.
During Hurricane Sandy, the 103-year-old Hudson River tunnels flooded for the first time, shutting down Amtrak and NJ Transit service into Manhattan for five days and impacting 600,000 riders.
Schumer acknowledged that the $185 million is just a fraction of the price tag for the project, which will cost billions.