From the Hudson River to Virginia – One Voyage, Two Major U.S. Tunnel Projects

Some voyages tell a bigger story than just cargo moving from port to port.

Onboard Atlantic Container Line’s vessel, Atlantic Sun Voyage ASU 6526 / 6626, we had the opportunity to handle a true “double header” project cargo operation — transporting Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) equipment westbound and eastbound for the same partners.

Westbound: Antwerp → New York

ACL carried approximately 3,000 freight tons of TBM components used to drill new tubes for the Palisades Tunnel Project, the first tunnel boring phase of the Hudson Tunnel Project. Once completed, these new rail tunnels will help improve the vital connection between New Jersey and Manhattan, one of the busiest rail corridors in North America.

Among the cargo was a 165-ton, 6.50 meter Main Drive, transported on ACL’s brand new 220-ton Mafi trailer, along with several other oversized and heavy components that require specialized handling well beyond what standard vessels can accommodate.

Eastbound: Norfolk → Hamburg

On the return voyage Atlantic Sun ASU 6626, ACL loaded the return shipment (1,870 freight tons) of TBM equipment returning from the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel Expansion Project in Virginia. This shipment is just the beginning — about 12,000 freight tons will move back to Europe over multiple sailings in the coming weeks.

Interestingly, this machine’s journey with ACL started years earlier. In 2021, ACL transported the same TBM from Antwerp to Norfolk, including extremely challenging components of varying sizes163-tons x 6.65 meters wide, 145-tons x 8.4 meters wide and a single piece weighing up to 248-tons and over 7 meters wide.  All units were safely accommodated using ACL’s specialized fleet of mafi trailers, with each trailer configuration tailored to the specific dimensions and weight of the cargo.

Now that the tunneling work in Virginia is complete, the machine will receive a second life in Europe.

From helping launch a new tunnel project under the Hudson River to bringing back tunnel boring machinery that helped expand critical infrastructure in Virginia, this voyage reflects what makes project logistics unique: complex cargo, long-term partnerships, and infrastructure that shapes regions for decades.

Many thanks to our partners LS Cargo GmbH and HLI for their cooperation on these important shipments.