Khaberni - New York and New Jersey have filed a lawsuit against the administration of President Donald Trump, demanding the reinstatement of funding for the Hudson River tunnel project before its construction stops on Friday.
Trump announced in October the termination of the massive project, valued at 16 billion dollars, while the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) refused to release any funding for the project, which had been approved during the administration of former President Joe Biden, and is considered a cornerstone in the rail movement between New York and New Jersey.
The lawsuit, presented before the United States District Court in Manhattan, was filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James and New Jersey Acting Attorney General Jennifer Davenport, following a legal challenge presented by the Gateway Project Development Committee, warning that they would stop the construction this week if the funding is not provided, potentially putting about a thousand workers out of jobs.
The lawsuit stated that the suspension of funding was politically motivated, claiming it was due to "Trump's desire to punish his political opponents," and included Secretary of Transportation Sean Davie and heads of the Federal Railroad Administration and the Federal Transit Administration.
Trump's administration has repeatedly targeted major transport and infrastructure projects in states governed by Democrats as part of specific policies to disrupt these projects.
The current Hudson River tunnel, constructed in 1910 and severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, serves as a vital artery for transportation in the urban area, representing 10% of the national economic output and used by over 200,000 travelers and 425 trains daily.
About 2 billion dollars have been spent on the project so far, while the initiative, which received about 15 billion dollars in federal support, includes repairing the existing tunnel and building a new tunnel to serve Amtrak and state passenger rail lines between New Jersey and Manhattan, and is the largest infrastructure project in the United States.
