Palisades Tunnel Project — Hudson County, NJ
The Palisades Tunnel Project in Hudson County, New Jersey, is one of the largest underground construction efforts in the Northeast. As the first major tunneling contract of the Gateway Program’s Hudson Tunnel Project, it establishes a new dual-rail connection between New Jersey and New York City.
The Schiavone Dragados Lane Joint Venture, a partnership of The Lane Construction Corporation, Schiavone Construction Company, and Dragados USA, leads the work. These firms employ over 7,500 engineers worldwide and have deep expertise in tunneling, bridges, and infrastructure. The $466 million contract covers about one mile of twin tunnels under the Hudson Palisades, with shafts, cross passages, and support structures.
For nearby communities at the western portal near Tonnelle Avenue in North Bergen, the project is both an engineering milestone and an environmental challenge. The Palisades Tunnel will begin a new Hudson River rail crossing to boost capacity and reliability on the Northeast Corridor. The current North River Tunnels, dating to 1910, carry hundreds of trains daily and have become a weak point in the region’s transit network. Building a new tunnel allows the Gateway Development Commission and partners to increase reliability and align with national sustainability goals.
Shaped by the Palisades
The tunnel runs east from North Bergen toward Weehawken, cutting through the diabase rock of the Hudson Palisades. These cliffs define the landscape and influence construction. The strong, stable rock controls movement around the excavation, but its density requires specialized equipment and careful sequencing to avoid delays.
This area of the Hudson waterfront has served rail lines, maintenance yards, and utility corridors for over a century. Rebuilding infrastructure in a tight urban area requires coordination at every level. Every truck movement, access road, and shaft operation is subject to review by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the Hudson County Soil Conservation District. Proximity to people and businesses means even routine tasks demand careful planning.
Managing sediment and compliance
Urban tunneling projects present unique sediment control challenges. Unlike greenfield construction, sites in Hudson County are tightly surrounded by public roads, businesses, and residential areas. There is a high risk of track-out daily due to the continuous movement of heavy equipment in and out of the Tonelle Avenue staging yard. The project team developed a sediment control plan under the New Jersey Pollution Discharge Elimination System, integrating stabilized access points, drainage collection zones, and monitoring protocols to prevent sediment and debris from reaching nearby streets.
Being so close to the Hudson River raises the bar even further. Runoff from the site must be collected, routed to approved containment basins, and treated before discharge. And with New Jersey weather shifting between rain, freeze–thaw cycles, and summer heat, the team needed access points that would stay stable no matter the season. While traditional rock pads were initially considered for the site’s entrances, engineers found that manufactured trackout control systems performed better, given the tight space, heavy truck traffic, and constantly changing haul routes.
Manufactured trackout control
To meet sediment and stormwater goals, the team installed FODS Trackout Control Mats at key exits. Made from high-density polyethylene, these reusable mats prevent mud and debris from leaving the site.
Each 12-by-7-foot mat features a tapered pyramid pattern that creates a washboard effect under vehicles. The raised pyramids flex tires, dislodging mud and debris from treads and undercarriages. This mechanical cleaning keeps sediment off public roads while withstanding heavy use.
Installation followed NJDEP guidelines, which require stable subgrades and sufficient mat length for full tire contact. At the Tonnelle Avenue portal, mats were placed at key lanes for haul trucks and delivery vehicles. Additional mats were set at secondary exits. The modular design allowed relocation as the project progressed.
Switching to a manufactured system reduced rock deliveries, decreased waste from gravel pads, and kept the site cleaner. The mats remained effective through weather changes and daily traffic without needing replacement.
Clean roads and safe access
Maintaining clean roads on a project this size is critical for public safety and community relations. The project area borders busy corridors in North Bergen, where sediment could pose a hazard to local motorists. Stabilized work surfaces and manufactured trackout control helped reduce mud and dust on nearby streets and keep sites safe for vehicle movement.
Supporting regional sustainability goals
The Palisades Tunnel Project supports the Gateway Program’s sustainability efforts, which focus on reducing waste and improving environmental performance. By selecting reusable trackout control mats over disposable rock entrances, the team reduced material use and avoided the need to repeatedly order, replace, and remove aggregate. The manufactured system also reduced truck trips for delivery and removal, lowering noise, traffic, and disruption from gravel entrance maintenance.
The mats are also reused as the job moves, which helps stretch the budget and avoids the repeated emissions from hauling rock back and forth. And by keeping sediment out of the stormwater system, the team helped protect the Hudson River and aligned with the state’s goals for cleaner waterways and better construction practices in busy urban areas.
Looking ahead
As the first tunneling contract under the Gateway Program, the Palisades Tunnel Project is an engineering and environmental milestone. By using advanced tunneling technology and sustainable site management, the project shows how major infrastructure can meet high standards and comply with environmental regulations.
For the Schiavone Dragados Lane Joint Venture, the experience underscores the importance of integrating sediment-control planning into early design and mobilization. The use of reusable trackout control systems has proven practical and environmentally responsible, helping the team maintain operational efficiency while supporting long-term sustainability objectives.
When completed, the Palisades Tunnel will become a key link in the Hudson Tunnel system, improving rail reliability and capacity between New Jersey and New York and setting a model for sustainable construction in complex urban areas.
