Tunnel Box

Doesn't Amtrak already take a tunnel out of service on weeknights as well as on most weekends?

If Amtrak does not receive funding for the next section of the Concrete Casing (which they recently put in a request for), that is going to be very disappointing.

Thomas wrote:If Amtrak does not receive funding for the next section of the Concrete Casing (which they recently put in a request for), that is going to be very disappointing.

Nobody is getting funding for anything in the next Congress. It is pretty clear another wave election is needed to bust up that paralysis. Amtrak knows this. It's not the end of the world. They expect this to go agonizingly slow whether it's optional (it's not) or non-optional (it is).


What it does mean, Thomas, is that you kind of need to learn to deal with the ants-in-your-pants that Gateway isn't going to open tomorrow. There is no eureka loophole, shortcut, or stealth political effort to fast-track it at warp speed. It starts becoming the definition of insanity to keep squinting harder looking for ways to achieve instant gratification here when every interested party across the whole pan-NYC, pan-NEC coalition knows exactly what the politics are and what variables feasibly can/will change or not change with those politics over the next couple election cycles.

I have heard that the next section of the Concrete Casing will not actually extend all of the way to 12th Avenue because of a proposed interlocking chamber around 30th street and 12th Avenue.

Can anyone verify this?

Thomas wrote:If Amtrak does not receive funding for the next section of the Concrete Casing (which they recently put in a request for), that is going to be very disappointing.

There are $3 billion in Sandy mitigation funds to be awarded for transit infrastructure hardening in the Northeast. The Concrete casing extension was part of the application for the project to protect Penn Station and the Hudson and East River tunnels. Since 1) the first phase of the Tunnel Box, aka Concrete casing, was funded with Sandy mitigation funds and 2) the flood risk to the Hudson & East River tunnels and NYP was demonstrated because they flooded in the Hurricane Sandy storm surge, I would expect the project to protect NYP and the tunnels will be funded. If for some wacky reason it is not, Amtrak and NY state will find the money to build the casing to protect the access, period. Relax.

Thomas wrote:I have heard that the next section of the Concrete Casing will not actually extend all of the way to 12th Avenue because of a proposed interlocking chamber around 30th street and 12th Avenue.

Can anyone verify this?

Phase 2 is only beneath 11th Avenue.

Well, there are some answers now to the many questions about the tunnel box extension. The Environmental Assessment for the concrete casing extension was posted to the FRA website eLibrary section last week. Link to the document page: Hudson Yards Concrete Casing Construction Supplemental Environmental Assessment (154 page, 5 MB pdf)

Extended excerpts from the report to summarize the project scope:

The proposed underground concrete casing extension (Extension) involves construction of an underground rectangular structure 605 feet long, between 50 and 65 feet wide and between 27 and 38 feet tall in the Western Rail Yard of the Hudson Yards.

Ok, Amtrak needs to start construction of the extension in 2015 or there could be problems.

As part of construction of the concrete casing in the Eastern Rail Yard, a portion of LIRR’s Maintenance of Equipment (MOE) building was demolished and the tracks that lead to it, tracks 0 and 1, were temporarily removed from service. The MOE building is scheduled to be substantially complete at the same location by October 2015. Construction of the portion of the Extension under the 11th Avenue bridge would also require tracks 0 and 1 to be taken out of service, thus it is critical to time the Extension construction with the MOE building reconstruction to ensure that these tracks will be placed back in service by the time the MOE building is back in use. Construction of the portion of the Extension under the 11th Avenue bridge must begin by February 2015 to meet the October 2015 deadline to have the MOE building and ancillary tracks 0 and 1 back in service.

Not a simple or small project

No permanent operational components, such as tracks, lighting, ventilation, or electrical systems, would be constructed as part of the proposed action. Minor, temporary systems, such as sump pumps, lighting, and ventilation, would be installed in the casing during construction. The Hudson Yards facility is an active rail yard used by MTA and LIRR for train storage, switching, maintenance, and ancillary LIRR operations. Amtrak would acquire both an easement from MTA for construction of the ROW in the Western Rail Yard and an easement from New York City for the portion of the ROW under the 11th Avenue bridge. Construction of the Extension would require:

 Temporary removal from service of yard tracks 0 and 1 that lead to LIRR’s MOE building for the portion of the Extension under the 11th Avenue bridge. Tracks 0 and 1 are currently out of service and removed due to construction of the concrete casing in the Eastern Rail Yard.
 Temporary relocation and replacement of utilities supported by and under the 11th Avenue bridge (storm/sanitary sewer, electric, water, gas) and signals/communications.
 Excavation of approximately 66,000 cubic yards of soil and 14,000 cubic yards of rock.
 Demolition of LIRR’s Emergency Services Building in the Western Rail Yard, temporary relocation of Emergency Services Building functions, and reconstruction to its original condition following completion of the Extension.
 Demolition of the structural support system (two roadway spans and one pier) for the 11th Avenue bridge along with restriction of traffic over half of the bridge at a time and reconstruction of the bridge supports and restoration of traffic.
 Temporary underpinning of the High Line.

How deep is the concrete casing extension?

The depth of excavation for the Extension varies along the alignment. Excavation for the eastern end of the Extension under the 11th Avenue bridge would reach approximately 60 feet below ground surface (bgs), while excavation at the western end of the Extension (near 30th Street under the High Line) would be between 58 and 70 feet bgs (Gateway Trans-Hudson Partnership, 2013). The newly constructed tunnel for the Number 7 line, which will likely be in service in early 2015 and is operated by MTA New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA), runs approximately 30 feet below the bottom of the proposed Extension for the portion of the Extension beneath the 11th Avenue bridge.

Although the EA covers the entire "Western Extension", only Phase II, the next 105 feet beneath 11th Avenue, is currently being designed.

Final phase of the High Line is now open, offering some views of the rail yards and tunnel box. I have not been to the park yet, but plan on going soon.

Looks like next step on the tunnel box is underway:

http://investors.tutorperini.com/press- ... fault.aspx

Fair use quote:
"NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Tutor Perini Corporation (NYSE: TPC), a leading civil and building construction company, today announced that it has recently been awarded a contract by the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (“Amtrak”) to construct the 11th Avenue extension to the concrete casing recently completed by Tutor Perini beneath the Eastern Rail Yard of the Hudson Yards site in New York City. The contract value is approximately $56.3 million and the project has been funded through a U.S. Department of Transportation Sandy Resiliency grant under the 2013 Disaster Relief Act."

It continues that construction is already underway, this extension is 105 feet long and substantial completion expected "late 2015".

rvlch wrote:Looks like next step on the tunnel box is underway:

http://investors.tutorperini.com/press- ... fault.aspx

Fair use quote:
"NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Tutor Perini Corporation (NYSE: TPC), a leading civil and building construction company, today announced that it has recently been awarded a contract by the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (“Amtrak”) to construct the 11th Avenue extension to the concrete casing recently completed by Tutor Perini beneath the Eastern Rail Yard of the Hudson Yards site in New York City. The contract value is approximately $56.3 million and the project has been funded through a U.S. Department of Transportation Sandy Resiliency grant under the 2013 Disaster Relief Act."

It continues that construction is already underway, this extension is 105 feet long and substantial completion expected "late 2015".

Good news, though you're running out of how much more they can do in pieces before they really have to just start tunneling under the Hudson.

Perhaps next is some work on the NJ side.

This is only semi-"Tunnel Box" relevant but can anyone confirm or deny that the massive pile of dirt has something to do with approaches for the new Portal Bridge(s)? The pile runs parallel to the NEC from Secaucus Transfer to the Old Montclair Boonton Line. On RR.Net, I read folks saying that its completely unrelated and an old landfill is simply being capped. AND I've heard on here that its 100% completely related to the future Portal.

Hawaiitiki wrote:This is only semi-"Tunnel Box" relevant but can anyone confirm or deny that the massive pile of dirt has something to do with approaches for the new Portal Bridge(s)? The pile runs parallel to the NEC from Secaucus Transfer to the Old Montclair Boonton Line. On RR.Net, I read folks saying that its completely unrelated and an old landfill is simply being capped. AND I've heard on here that its 100% completely related to the future Portal.

Its the old Malanka Landfill, its being capped.....

Don31 wrote:

Hawaiitiki wrote:This is only semi-"Tunnel Box" relevant but can anyone confirm or deny that the massive pile of dirt has something to do with approaches for the new Portal Bridge(s)? The pile runs parallel to the NEC from Secaucus Transfer to the Old Montclair Boonton Line. On RR.Net, I read folks saying that its completely unrelated and an old landfill is simply being capped. AND I've heard on here that its 100% completely related to the future Portal.

Its the old Malanka Landfill, its being capped.....

Are they going to put a methane plant there?

Glad at least part of this huge project is moving forward...

TrainPhotos wrote: Are they going to put a methane plant there?

TrainPhotos wrote: Why would they do that? The capping is to keep the toxic chemicals (chromium and who knows what else) undisturbed.

TrainPhotos wrote: Glad at least part of this huge project is moving forward...

Nothing is really moving forward in the location of the landfill to the best of my knowledge. Does anyone know where the ARC tracks were going to be? Were they supposed to cross the landfill at all?

Also there is something going on to the South of the existing tracks and East of County Rd. By the extend of the grading there I wonder where the old ARC tracks were supposed to be in that area? If the Gateway tracks need to cross that property, whoever is putting up whatever they are putting up there will extract a pretty penny from eminent domain proceedings delaying everything by 3-5 years just for that property.