A few weeks ago I wrote this story for the front page about the the highwayman, name New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. Christie took some time review his decision to kill one of the biggest most important infrastructure projects in the nation. Today, he announced he's standing by that decision:

Construction began last year on the tunnel, which has been in the works for 20 years. In September, Christie suspended work on the tunnel and ordered a cost review. He pulled the plug on the project two weeks ago but gave himself time to reconsider at the behest of federal Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

The tunnel is intended to supplement a century-old two-track tunnel that has been at capacity for years, NJ Transit officials have said. It would double the capacity for NJ Transit commuter trains and Amtrak trains between Pennsylvania Station in New York and the city's populous New Jersey suburbs, part of a region that has some of the nation's longest commutes.

More than 625,000 people trek into Manhattan from New Jersey each work day, about 185,000 by rail, and even a minor derailment or delay translates into long stretches of waiting for trains to get to and from work.

On Monday, an eight-car train derailed outside Pennsylvania Station, snarling the evening commute for tens of thousands. No one was injured, but nine of the station's 21 tracks were affected, Amtrak spokesman Clifford Cole said.

Federal Transit Administration chief Peter Rogoff has said that the new tunnel will shorten rail trips in the region and reduce the need to transfer between trains, which he said can save several minutes.

Officials estimated it would provide 6,000 construction jobs immediately and as many as 40,000 jobs after its completion in 2018.