First TBM Launched for $16 Billion Hudson Tunnel Project in the United States

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 9, Lane Construction, the U.S. construction subsidiary of Italy's Webuild Group, confirmed that the first tunnel boring machine (TBM) for the Palisades Tunnel section of the $16 billion Hudson Tunnel Project in the United States has begun excavation, marking the project's official entry into the mechanized underground excavation phase. This construction corresponds to a $466 million tunnel contract, implemented by a joint venture comprising Lane, FlatironDragados, and SPC. The work is located in New Jersey and represents the first construction section of the new rail tunnel connecting New York and New Jersey.

The Palisades Tunnel section is located in North Bergen, New Jersey, and involves the construction of two parallel rail tunnels, each approximately 1.6 kilometers long, using two single-shield hard rock TBMs. The tunnel lining has an internal diameter of approximately 7.7 meters and is assembled from precast concrete segments. The contract also includes six cross passages connecting the two tunnels and the Hudson County shaft, approximately 37 meters deep. After completing excavation of this section, the TBM will be dismantled and lifted out through the shaft.

The TBM deployed for this work was manufactured by Germany's Herrenknecht, with a cutterhead diameter of approximately 8.74 meters, a equipment weight exceeding 1,680 tonnes, and a backup gantry length of approximately 152 meters. The equipment uses a single-shield configuration suitable for hard rock formations and installs precast concrete lining simultaneously during excavation. According to the construction plan previously published by the Gateway Development Commission, each machine is expected to advance approximately 9 meters per day on average, including scheduled maintenance downtime, and completing excavation of the entire Palisades section is expected to take approximately one year.

Construction is being carried out by the Schiavone Lane Dragados joint venture. The joint venture was awarded the construction contract in August 2024, with Lane Construction holding a 35% contract share. The project contract scope includes tunnel excavation, concrete lining, cross passage construction, and shaft construction. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is responsible for managing this construction contract in cooperation with the Gateway Development Commission.

Preparatory construction for the Palisades section has been completed for the TBM launch site. The construction team built the launch pit in North Bergen and carried out bridge modifications on part of Tonnelle Avenue to provide space for TBM assembly and underground construction. On September 28, the project parties held a tunnel excavation launch ceremony, followed by equipment testing and formal excavation preparations. The contractor's announcement on October 9 confirmed that the first TBM has been put into underground excavation operations.

After the two TBMs complete the Palisades rock section in New Jersey, the project will use another set of TBMs designed for the mixed ground conditions beneath the Hudson River to continue the river crossing tunnel works. The entire new twin-tube rail tunnel project is expected to use four TBMs, each undertaking excavation tasks in different geological sections.

The overall Hudson Tunnel Project also includes the rehabilitation of the existing North River rail tunnel. The existing tunnel was placed into service in 1910, connecting New Jersey and Manhattan, New York, and serves Amtrak and New Jersey Transit train operations, serving more than 200,000 passengers and more than 450 trains each weekday. The overall project schedule involves first building the new twin-tube rail tunnel, followed by rehabilitation of the existing tunnel.