Weeks Marine wins Hudson River Ground Stabilization Project

The Gateway Development Commission’s (GDC) Board of Commissioners awarded this week the Hudson River Ground Stabilization (HRGS) Project to Weeks Marine, Inc. for expert professional design-build services.

The HRGS marks the first heavy construction contract by GDC on the Hudson Tunnel Project (HTP).

According to The Gateway Program, the project is an important component of the new tunnel project. It will inject a mix of soil, concrete, and water to stabilize the riverbed in 1,200 feet of the shallow area on the Manhattan side of the Hudson River.

This work will ensure the Tunnel Boring Machine can excavate the new tunnel while protecting the riverbed from disruption.

The HRGS Project is set to modify conditions in the Hudson River to allow for future construction.

In the lowcover area of the Hudson River off Manhattan’s shoreline, the riverbed is made up of silt too soft to support a tunnel.

By injecting grout into the silt, columns of soil mixed with cement and water will stabilize the ground above the future tunnel.

Temporary sheet pile cofferdams will enclose the work zone, enabling in-water ground improvement to be completed one phase at a time, beginning in the section of the river closest to Manhattan and moving westward toward the Hudson River’s navigation channel.

Phase One of the Project will be performed from Spring 2024 to Fall 2024 and includes surveying and the design and construction of a test cofferdam.

Phase Two will be performed from Fall 2024 to Spring 2027 and includes the design and construction of remaining work related to the HRGS Project.