NJBIZ (New Jersey) – New Jersey transportation leaders say construction of an $8.7 billion rail tunnel between New Jersey and Manhattan will begin this spring, whether or not the project has secured full federal funding.

“We have the funding to start,” said Stephen Dilts, commissioner of the state Department of Transportation. “We are ready to use those funds [and] get shovels in the ground this spring.”

The state has already secured a part of the $3 billion in funding it expects from the federal government for the Hudson River rail tunnel. The government has set aside a combined $178 million in stimulus and general appropriations for the project, said Richard R. Sarles, executive director of NJ Transit. The rest of the money is expected to come from the Federal Transit Administration. [read more…]