Alignment Chosen for New Hudson River Tunnel

The project to build a tunnel that would double capacity serving New Jersey commuters moves ahead. Construction is underway, meanwhile, on a 51-mi. power cable connecting Long Island to the eastern seaboard power grid.

Power Cable to Link N.Y. and N.J.

Construction started this summer to connect New Jersey and Long Island with an underwater electric cable capable of delivering an additional 660 MW of power - enough for 600,000 households - to meet Nassau County's growing energy needs.

Following the 2003 blackout across the Eastern U.S., the Long Island Power Authority sought to diversify its energy sources by tapping into the electrical grid along the Eastern Seaboard. It selected Neptune Regional Transmission Systems, based in Fairfield, Conn., to provide the link as a less expensive alternative to building new power-generating facilities on Long Island. While there are numerous cables connecting Long Island to Connecticut, the Neptune project will be the first connecting the island to New Jersey.

The $600 million project, financed through equity and debt by a group of institutional investors, entails laying cable for 51 mi. underwater and 14 mi. underground between Sayerville, N.J., and the power authority's substation in Levittown, N.Y., as well as construction of AC/DC converter stations on each shore. With Siemens Power Transmission and Distribution, based in Raleigh, N.C., and Pirelli Power Cables, based in Lexington, S.C., acting as principal contractors, completion is scheduled for summer 2007.

$6 Billion Tunnel Plan Advances

The Trans-Hudson Express Tunnel, a ten-year New Jersey Transit project intended to double passenger rail capacity between New Jersey and New York, is now in the scoping and engineering stage following the agency's approval of an alignment this summer. The project is designed to meet a growing number of peak-period commuters, expected to rise from today's 41,000 to 86,000 by 2015.

The alignment chosen out of 137 alternatives calls for two new single-track tunnels - south of the existing Amtrak-owned tunnels - that would pass under the New Jersey Palisades and the Hudson River. The tracks would connect with the existing commuter rail system and eliminate the need for passengers using the Main, Bergen County, Pascack Valley, Port Jervis, and Raritan Valley lines to transfer in order to travel to Midtown Manhattan.

The project envisions constructing a multi-level station under 34th Street in Manhattan and new track connections with Penn Station, providing for redundancy and flexibility. The expected cost of the tunnel has grown from $5 billion ten years ago to $6 billion. The agency attributes the rise in part to security measures adopted since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks as well as to expanded features.

Ferry Terminals Open

Following almost four years of construction, Staten Island Ferry service has been revamped, offering better amenities at terminals serving the ferry's 65,000 daily passengers.

On the Staten Island side, the New York City Economic Development Corp. oversaw a $130 million renovation of the St. George Terminal. Designed by the New York office of Hellmuth Obata + Kassabaum, with Skanska USA Building of Parsippany, N.J., serving as construction manager, the new terminal features floor-to-ceiling windows offering harbor views, a heated and air-conditioned waiting room, and two scenic walkways connecting to Richmond Terrace and to the nearby Staten Island Yankees minor league ballpark. It has 20,000 sq. ft. of new retail space which may eventually include a waterfront restaurant.

The terminal also features several green components, including a photovoltaic louver system that will reduce energy needs by 25 percent and an 18,000-sq.-ft. green roof irrigated by storm drainage run-off. The corporation and the Staten Island Zoo plan to install two saltwater aquariums in the waiting room.

On the Manhattan side, the $201 million Whitehall Terminal renovation, designed by New York-based Schwartz Architects, also features photovoltaic panels, along with rooftop viewing decks, a 6,500-sq.-ft. expansion of the waiting room, and a 75-ft.-high entry hall with panoramic views of downtown Manhattan. A joint venture of Tishman Construction and Frederick R. Harris, both based in New York, completed construction earlier this year, though work continued over the summer on the plaza in front of the building.