Construction on drawing boards

The Island Now

Did you hear about recent news that the proposed Cross Harbor Freight Tunnel which might connect New Jersey to either Brooklyn or Queens is under consideration again?

In theory, it might move thousands of trucks on a daily basis off the roads and on to railroad tracks for significant portions of the journey between New Jersey and Long Island. It reminds me of the long forgotten proposed tunnel between 69th Street in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn and St. George, Staten Island.

The concept was to extend subway service from Brooklyn to Staten Island. Ground was broken with entrances at both ends in the 1920s, but the project quickly ran out of money and was abandoned to history. When living on Shore Road in Bay Ridge Brooklyn, friends and I would look to no avail in attempting to find the abandon site filled in decades earlier.

Flash forward almost 90 years later and we have the proposed “Cross Harbor” rail freight tunnel project.

Construction of any new freight, public transportation tunnel or bridge project can take years if not decades by the time all feasibility studies, environmental reviews, planning, design, engineering, real estate acquisition, permits, procurements, construction, budgeting, identifying and securing funding is completed.

This is before the project reaches beneficial use. Construction for the 2nd Avenue subway began in the 1960s. (Bond money intended for this project in the 1950s was spent elsewhere). The latest completion date for the first segment of three stations between 63rd and 96th Streets on the upper east side of Manhattan is 2016 at a cost of $4.5 billion.

Construction for the original tunnel to support bringing the Long Island Rail Road from Queens into Grand Central Station began in the 1960s. The latest completion date is now 2018 with a cost of $8 billion.

No one can identify the source for the estimated $10 billion to $14 billion to build a new tunnel for New Jersey Transit and Amtrak to gain additional access to Penn Station from New Jersey.

Ditto for the estimated $15 billion to $20 billion for replacing the Tappan Zee Bridge in Westchester. Any guess who will find $5 billion to $10 billion or more needed for construction of a new Cross Harbor Freight Tunnel?

This may be just another in the continuing series of feasibility studies sponsored by various governmental agencies and public officials over decades. They generate some money for consultants along with free publicity for elected officials who promise a bright future but all to often move on to another public office before delivering. You are frequently left holding an empty bag with unfilled promises.

At the end of the day, just like the long abandoned Brooklyn to Staten Island subway project – don’t count on seeing any shovel in the ground before the end of this decade.

Who even knows if completion of any Cross Harbor Freight Tunnel will take place in our lifetime.

Larry Penner

Great Neck

 

Share this Article