STV was a key member of two award-winning project teams that were honored by the New Jersey Alliance for Action (NJAA). Both the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s (PANYNJ) Holland Tunnel Salt Damage Repairs and Storm Mitigation team and NJ TRANSIT’s Long Slip Fill and Rail Enhancement team received “New Jersey’s Leading Capital Construction Projects” awards at the NJAA ceremony in February.
The award program was created to highlight innovative, pioneering, and landmark construction initiatives that impact the state’s economy. It also honors the companies and organizations that work together as partners on major projects.
“This award is a testament to the technical capabilities and professionalism of STV and highlights that we successfully deliver big infrastructure projects,” said Dinesh Subramanyam, P.E., STV’s project manager for the Holland Tunnel program.
STV provided overall design and project coordination of the civil, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and structural disciplines. The team also provided construction support, including managing submittals, shop drawings, requests for information, and post-award contract changes.
Flood mitigation measures were installed for the Holland Tunnel, which connects Manhattan’s West Side and Jersey City, NJ. These renovations included structural repairs and strengthening; mechanical, electrical, and plumbing improvements; and stormwater drainage upgrades. The team added floodgates at the tunnel portals and flood walls around the perimeter of the entrance and exit ramps to prevent water from entering the tunnel.
“When Holland Tunnel opened to the public in 1927 it was the world’s first tunnel with a mechanical ventilation system,” Subramanyam said. “Because of its historical significance and National Historic Landmark designation, there were certain design and construction limitations. We worked through those challenges to provide a solution that met the needs of the client while protecting the tunnel’s history. It was an honor to work on this complex rehabilitation/storm mitigation project that will ensure the tunnel remains resilient, safe, and operational for future generations.”
“This achievement is just one part of a larger program that includes 14 individual repair projects for the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels,” said Rich Amodei, President of Transportation, Northeast. “Once complete, these restoration and resiliency repairs will equip the tunnels with effective and practical flood prevention during major storm events for decades to come.”
STV is serving as the project manager and design engineer for the larger $1.7 million federally funded program, which was developed by PANYNJ in response to significant Superstorm Sandy flood damage.
For the $150 million Long Slip project, STV provided construction management and inspection services in support of a program that will better protect the historic Hoboken Terminal and Yard against flooding and other natural disasters.
“This initiative at Hoboken Terminal and Hoboken Yard brought several necessary resiliency measures to a flood-prone area,” said Project Manager Jim Takacs, P.E., CCM. “The NJAA’s award program highlights and celebrates transformative projects across the state, and this is no exception. I’m proud that the STV team played a key role in protecting this transportation center’s infrastructure and service offerings against future flooding.”
During Hurricane Sandy, the Long Slip Canal allowed floodwater to enter, damage, and temporarily shut down the terminal and yard. The complex – which is located in New Jersey just across the Hudson River from Manhattan – links NJ TRANSIT commuter rail lines and buses, PATH rapid transit, a Metro-North Railroad line, the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, and NY Waterway ferries.
For years, STV served as the project manager, on behalf of NJ TRANSIT, for a $175 million redevelopment of the complex.
To safeguard this vital transportation hub against future flood events, NJ TRANSIT is using Federal Transit Administration Emergency Relief Program funds to fill the canal and build elevated tracks and platforms that will offer limited service during high tide conditions and severe weather.
“The facility will now have three elevated, ADA-accessible boarding platforms serving six elevated tracks,” said Construction Manager Mike Moskowitz, P.E., CCM, DBIA. “These improvements will keep passengers moving during future floods. Our team in the field has done a great job overcoming project challenges, including protecting the existing PATH tunnels and coordinating with the nine other active projects in the Hoboken Yard area.”