Related has already broken ground on the Hudson Yards development project, where Amtrak hopes to build a tunnel box for the future line. Measuring some 800ft-long (245m), the concrete box would cost roughly between USD 120M and USD 150M, according to a local New Jersey newspaper.
If the development completes without building the box, it will not be possible to construct the Gateway project, said a spokesperson for Amtrak. The rail company began pursuing the Gateway tunnels after New Jersey¹s governor, Chris Christie, cancelled the ARC project in 2010 over potential cost overruns.
Estimated to cost USD 14.7bn (in 2011 dollars) if completed by 2025, the Gateway would connect New Jersey from Penn Station in Newark to an expansion of existing Penn Station in Manhattan. There would also be significant infrastructure improvements in New Jersey including increasing track capacity from two to four, and replacing the 100-year-old Portal Bridge across the Hackensack River.
The 26-acre Hudson Yards is the single largest piece of undeveloped property in Manhattan. Related is already beginning construction on the site¹s first tower, the 1.7 million-sqf, 47-story South Tower, which is expected to be completed in 2015.
