New York Is Betting $55 Billion on a Single Bridge — And It Could Change the City Forever

For nearly a century, New York has chased the idea of a Long Island Sound crossing, and today the debate has crystallized around a staggering $55 billion price tag. This video explores why New York is betting $55 billion on a single bridge or tunnel—and why it has never been built despite decades of momentum.

Drawing on engineering studies, political battles, and environmental resistance, the story traces how an eighteen-mile stretch of water between Long Island and Connecticut became one of the most contested infrastructure gaps in the United States. Viewers will learn how geography has funneled millions of drivers through a handful of chokepoints, why emergency evacuations remain a serious concern, and how each generation has revived the crossing with new technology and fresh optimism—only to see it collapse under the weight of cost, lawsuits, and regional opposition.

The video breaks down where the $55 billion figure comes from, what kinds of bridges or tunnels were actually proposed, and why even aggressive tolls fail to make the math work. It also examines the less visible forces shaping the outcome: environmental law, wealthy shoreline communities, interstate politics, and the quiet effectiveness of simply saying no. By the end, the crossing emerges not as an engineering problem, but as a case study in how power, money, and public values decide which megaprojects define a city—and which remain forever unbuilt. 

Project Mystery examines the hidden histories and unresolved ambitions behind the world’s most fascinating infrastructure, urban, and political stories.

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