There were a lot of other state needs. Pension funding, pre-existing highway and other transportation costs (e.g. NJ Transit), you name it, there was a budget area that was short funded, and some at risk of legal consequence. The state's credit rating is another factor. Taking on the gateway project debt, at that time, could have been been really bad for our credit rating, and consequentially increased the state's borrowing costs. We just weren't in a financially appropriate place for that kind of project at that time.

Under Murphy, we're in a much better fiscal position, and federal support for Gateway with Biden's infrastructure plan is better now than it was back then.

I know everyone wants to crap on Christie, and I'm no supporter, but this is one topic I think he made the right moves on.

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Hope this helps answer your question. Cheers.

At the time it was clear that the actual cost would be way higher than the estimated price. Name one large project like this that comes in on budget and on time. And at the time New Jersey's finances were a mess, yes, mostly due to Republican mismanagement, but in this case moving the initial monies to other state needs and punting on the tunnel project was shrewd.

Virginia drivers, too. Last time I drove south to DC on the turnpike, every, and I mean every single slow left lane driver had Virginia plates. And not just New Jersey slow, but speed limit or slower, slow. Aren't they all supposed to like Nascar?