As the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce and the broader business community continue to advocate for policies and investments that will strengthen New Jersey and the Northeast as a regional economic powerhouse, it is essential that we remain steadfast champions of the Hudson Tunnel Project.

This generational investment is critical to our region’s long-term economic success, ensuring a reliable transportation network that supports businesses, workers, and the movement of goods and people throughout the Northeast Corridor.

With both immediate and long-term benefits, the Hudson Tunnel Project is bringing a critical rail connection into the 21st century by constructing a new tunnel beneath the Hudson River and rehabilitating the existing century-old tunnel to modern standards.

For the first time in generations, New Jerseyans will have the reliable, resilient transit system they deserve.

Major infrastructure projects create value long before the ribbon is cut. They create jobs on construction sites, generate opportunities for suppliers and contractors, and drive spending that ripples through local communities. The Hudson Tunnel Project is already delivering those benefits to New Jersey businesses and workers.

The first five of the project’s 10 construction packages — all either completed or currently under construction — are creating more than 11,000 jobs. By the time those packages are finished, workers are projected to earn more than $900 million in wages.

But the project’s economic impact extends far beyond direct construction employment. It is also generating thousands of indirect and induced jobs across the state.

Indirect jobs are created when businesses that supply materials and services to the project — including manufacturers, engineering firms, suppliers, and professional services companies — expand to meet growing demand. Induced jobs, meanwhile, are created when workers spend their earnings in their communities, supporting local businesses such as restaurants, grocery stores, and gas stations.

A construction worker buying lunch at a neighborhood sandwich shop may seem small, but multiplied thousands of times over, those purchases create meaningful economic activity and additional employment opportunities.

These ripple effects are often overlooked, but they are a significant part of the Hudson Tunnel Project’s value. When indirect and induced employment are included, the first five construction packages are supporting more than 20,000 jobs.

And the economic impact will only continue to grow. This spring, the Gateway Development Commission awarded contracts for two additional major construction projects that will create tens of thousands more jobs, with three more construction packages still to come. In total, construction of the Hudson Tunnel Project is projected to support 95,000 jobs before the new tunnel enters service.

Ultimately, the Hudson Tunnel Project is a once-in-a-generation investment that will ensure the Northeast remains connected, competitive and prepared to meet the transportation demands of the future.

We must keep the Hudson Tunnel Project on track — for the workers who depend on it today and for the millions of riders who will rely on a modern, dependable rail system tomorrow and for decades to come.

Thankfully, Gov. Mikie Sherrill, New Jersey’s congressional delegation, and many local leaders have been strong champions of the project. Their advocacy and commitment have brought us to this moment, with construction underway and communities across New Jersey already experiencing its economic benefits.

That support must continue. Leaders in Washington must remain committed to advancing this critical investment in American infrastructure. We have built too much momentum — and stand to gain too much more — to slow down now.

Tom Bracken is the president & CEO of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce.

The opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ROI-NJ.