President Donald Trump has vowed to end the Gateway Tunnel project — the largest infrastructure initiative in the United States — escalating tensions with congressional Democrats.
The $16 billion project aims to build a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River and rehabilitate the existing 115-year-old tunnels, improving service along the nation’s busiest rail corridor between New York and New Jersey. Construction has already begun at multiple sites, employing hundreds of workers as of Oct. 17.
“I’m cutting the project,” Trump told FOX News, adding, “The project is going to be dead. It is pretty much dead right now.” The full interview is scheduled to air Oct. 19 on Sunday Morning Futures.
Trump’s remarks appeared directed at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), a key advocate for the project. “Tell him it’s terminated,” Trump reportedly said earlier in the week. Schumer condemned the move on the Senate floor, calling it “petty revenge politics.”
“Gateway is the most important infrastructure project in America, period,” Schumer said. “It keeps our economy moving, our region connected, and tens of thousands of union workers employed.”
The Gateway project is designed to add nine miles of new passenger rail, including a two-tube tunnel, with completion expected by 2035. The existing tunnel would be restored by 2038. Officials project tens of thousands of new jobs, billions in economic activity, and expanded commuter capacity from two to four tracks.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul criticized Trump’s stance as “shortsighted,” warning that “if this system of transportation collapses, the Northeastern economy and the economy of the country collapses.”
The project’s future has also become a flashpoint in New Jersey’s gubernatorial race. Democratic candidate Mikie Sherrill vowed to fight for the tunnel’s funding, while Republican Jack Ciattarelli — who has Trump’s endorsement — said he would still advocate for New Jersey’s fair share of federal support.
Transportation experts say Trump’s actions are unlikely to end the project but could significantly delay it. “Cancellation will not actually save money,” said Alon Levy, a public transportation research scholar at New York University’s Marron Institute of Urban Management.
Source:Africa Publicity
