Amtrak gets $185 million for Hudson Yards box tunnel in NYC

[afigg]

1. How long would it take to build Penn South? I have looked at the diagram. The orange section--which is the NJ Transit section--clearly has a concourse on top of the tracks. But I still can not see if a mezzanine will be located BETWEEN the new NJ Transit tracks and the concourse (which will be right below street level).
2. Would 31st between 8th and 9th avenue also have to be razed? (After all, tracks will have to be built from Penn South westwards to A Interlocking...

To tear out an entire city block, dig a big hole in the ground and build the foundations, platforms, tracks, and new concourse & station? Probably at least a couple of years, but there is not even a detailed design yet as far as we know. But the one thing we can be sure of, is that it will take far longer for Penn South to do the studies, design, get the approvals and funding, acquire the properties through eminent domain, deal with the inevitable lawsuits, move everyone out of the block. Penn South is probably 10-15 years away from even starting to tear anything down, if it happens at all in the next 30 years.
2. Look at the track diagram in the Gateway presentation. They may have to take a corner of the block to the west, but there is a parking lot at that corner. The deep tunnels to the lower concourse might be able to go under shallower building foundations; or maybe not.

 

[jis]

The lower level if built will be bored in deep bedrock well below any foundations. However, NY real estate law does not allow you to tunnel under anyone else's property without their permission, no matter how deep. So that will be an issue notwithstanding whether there is any physical impact on the structure.

 

[Andrew]

To some extent, though, it also seems as if the Gateway Tunnels should have the Penn Connector at 11th avenue and 31st (which is where the tunnel box will begin). This tunnel box will then connect to A Interlocking to the west of Penn Station. But if eminent domain issues and lawsuits are significantly going to delay the construction of Penn South, it almost seems as if Penn South should instead be a deep-level station built beneath the current Penn Station. Although Amtrak was able to acquire property for the tunnel box (by convincing the LIRR to tear down their maintenance facility and for the construction of the platforms for new skyscrapers in Hudson Yards to get delayed), this will become a much bigger problem in Block 780. In fact, here is a diagram for what I am talking about... http://www.hhgraphics.net/hsr/html/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=93&Itemid=91

Also, isn't it true that Amtrak owns some of the property on Block 780? If this is true, than eminent domain issues and lawsuits should not be as big as a problem.

 

[Andrew]

1. Suppose that Amtrak chooses the Deep-Level Option for Penn South. If one looks at a Gateway PDF, it appears that the tunnel box directly interfers with the tunnel option t the Lower Level. Could a contractor make the relaunch chambers in a way that the alignment to the current level does not directly cross the connection from the current Penn Station (basically what is occurring with East Side Access)?

2. If the Lower Level Option gets chosen, would Amtrak enable escalators to travel from a mezzanine about 80 feet below street level directly to Street Level, or would a mezzanine likely be built midway to make it safer for passengers to travel?