"At the secretary's request, I've agreed to have executive director of NJ Transit Jim Weinstein and members from his team work with U.S. Department of Transportation staff to study those options over the next two weeks."
The options could involve new financing arrangements or construction redesigns.
Christie on Thursday canceled the tunnel, which was estimated to cost $8.7 billion when work started in June 2009. He said New Jersey could not afford to pay for cost overruns his staff estimated at as much as $6 billion.
Christie said Friday that his belief that the tunnel project "is not financially viable and is expected to dramatically exceed its current budget remains unchanged."
Democratic lawmakers in Trenton and Washington, as well as environmental and transportation groups, praised the possible rescue. The tunnel, they said, would mean 6,000 construction-related jobs a year and 44,000 permanent jobs, and would reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality.
State Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney (D., Gloucester) chastised Christie for brinkmanship over the largest public works project in the nation.
"With all else that must be on his plate, the secretary should not have had to make this emergency trip," Sweeney said. "The governor should have sought Secretary LaHood's input prior to his calling a news conference yesterday. Given the governor's past criticism of the Obama administration for not having picked up a phone, it's unfortunate he didn't do it either."
The $8.7 billion price tag was to be met with $3 billion from the Federal Transit Administration, $3 billion from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and $2.7 billion from New Jersey and from other federal sources.
Money for projected cost overruns would have had to come from New Jersey, Christie said in canceling the project on Thursday.
