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| Re: Push to Replace Port Authority Bus Terminal (303829) | |||
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Re: Push to Replace Port Authority Bus Terminal |
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Posted by WillD on Tue Mar 24 17:33:35 2015, in response to Re: Push to Replace Port Authority Bus Terminal, posted by JAzumah on Tue Mar 24 10:18:56 2015. Everyone knew ARC was going to come in around $12B."Everyone" being the Chrisco administration and those who bought his lies. Everyone else knew better. Gateway (which is modified ARC) now has a low estimate of $15B. If you strip Portal Bridge and the new Manhattan terminal, you are still looking at $11B for the tunnels. No, you're not. For ARC it was roughly split 2/5s for the terminal and 3/5ths for the tunnels. The cost of the tunnels hasn't significantly changed for Gateway, but the cost of the Manhattan terminal greatly increased as they have to acquire the land for the expansion of PSNY's shallow terminal which is $1.3 billion for the land alone. The lower level PSNY platform expansion would have resulted in lower cost, but unfortunately was discarded because the existing Penn Station platforms make vertical circulation extremely difficult to implement. Since the 7 tunnels will be similarly sized, you can start at $11B. But the 7 train does not require the construction of a Manhattan tunnel. Rail connections to Secaucus still need to be improved, and there should be some method of terminating NJT trains on the upper level. TBMs are relatively fixed in costs, with larger diameter TBMs costing only a marginally larger amount than a smaller TBM. To that end building a single 15 meter diameter tunnel accommodating the 7 train and NJT/Amtrak traffic on two levels, as well as safety shelter walkways and ventilation, makes more sense than digging four 8.3 meter diameter tunnels to accommodate the same traffic. For one it'd significantly reduce spoils removal. But under that scenario the only increase in cost to build the 7 train extension on top of Gateway's tunnel costs would be the junctions west of NYP and under the Palisades, and then the tunnel for the 7 train under the Palisades, through a North Hoboken tunnel, and on to Secaucus. That'd mean the marginal cost to build the 7 train extension could be as low as $4 billion. Compared to pouring $11 billion into a maxed out bus terminal, getting four new tracks under the Hudson for around $20 billion is the deal of the century. |
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