New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will again terminate the proposed multibillion dollar Hudson River rail tunnel project, according to multiple sources. An official familiar with the administration’s decision told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the governor is sticking by his original decision.
Christie said Tuesday after a town hall meeting in Monmouth Junction that he’d “make the decision when I’m ready.”
A spokesman for the Governor’s office told 1010 WINS’ Steve Sandberg that there will be no official announcement Tuesday. The Associated Press reported an announcement could come today.
Senator Frank Lautenberg released a statement saying “the federal government demonstrated its strong commitment to building this tunnel, but it was clear from the beginning that Gov. Christie planned to kill this project no matter what.”
Senator Robert Menendez told 1010 WINS, if the reports were accurate, the decision by Christie was a shortsighted one designed to appeal to the right wing of the Republican Party. Menendez said Christie was more interested in using the money to close the hole in the state’s Transportation Trust Fund.
The Republican governor canceled the project Oct. 7, saying the state couldn’t afford it. But he then gave it a two-week reprieve at the request of federal Transportation Secretary Raymond LaHood. That deadline expired Friday, but Christie said he would delay a decision until after the weekend.
The tunnel, in the works for 20 years, is designed to supplement a century-old two-track tunnel and would double train capacity between New York and its populous New Jersey suburbs. Officials estimate it would provide 6,000 construction jobs immediately and as many as 40,000 jobs after its completion in 2018. Construction began last year.
{1010 WINS/Matzav.com}
