MONROE, NJ (April 2, 2025) – Tom Prendergast, Chief Executive Officer of the largest infrastructure project in the nation, made his first public appearance in the state Wednesday morning and broke some huge news before the New Jersey Alliance for Action audience.
Prendergast presented an update on the massive project and laid out in great detail its impact on the region. The active parts of the Hudson Tunnel Project (HTP), Prendergast explained, are broken into five projects — two each in New York and New Jersey and another on the Hudson River.
“Transportation is in my blood. Without the Alliance for Action, without the support across the region to convince people the criticality of this project, we wouldn’t be here today,” said Prendergast, who was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Gateway Development Commission this January.”
The New Jersey projects are the Tonnelle Avenue Bridge Project, expected to be completed later this year, and the Palisades Tunnel Project, which will run through Q4 of 2027. Here, for the first time, are the economic benefits for the active New Jersey projects, along with the estimated timetable:
- Total jobs created: 5,500
- Total labor income: $450 million
- Total economic output of $850 million
“Gateway’s Hudson Tunnel Project is a huge economic win for New Jersey, pouring millions into our economy and putting thousands of people to work — all while completing the country’s most vital infrastructure project,” said New Jersey Alliance for Action President Jerry Keenan. “The numbers Tom unveiled in front of our audience represent terrific news and will have a monumental economic impact on our region. That’s something worth celebrating.”
The active updates Prendergast shared are still a relatively small part of current work. Taken together, the five active projects will create over 18,000 total jobs, $1.53 billion in labor income and $3.8 billion in economic output. Upon final completion, the HTP will have created 95,000 jobs during construction and generated $19.6 billion in economic output.
In the coming months, Prendergast said, Gateway officials look forward to several milestones including the completion of the Tonnelle Avenue Project, the start of construction on the Hudson Tunnel Project and the advancement of the Hudson Yards Concrete Casing – Section 3.
“What’s great about infrastructure is at the end of the day you have a facility, you have something that provides a public benefit to the people that live and work in the region for transportation purposes. In Addition to that, it generates a lot of jobs for the economy, people are able to take money home to their families, and live at a level of living that they expect,” said Prendergast
Attendees at this morning’s meeting were the first to hear from Gateway on their economic impact. Alliance for Action events regularly feature news before it hits the headlines, register for your next event here and be among the first to know about upcoming construction opportunities.
Since 1974, The New Jersey Alliance for Action has worked as a non-partisan and non-profit association representing thousands of business, labor, government, utility, education, professional, and other New Jersey leaders. Our mission is to improve New Jersey’s economy through the promotion of environmentally friendly capital construction and infrastructure investment.
