WTC transit hub's cost climbs to $3.44B

Planners of the new World Trade Center say they need an additional $180 million to finish a major transit hub at the site.

An official at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey told the agency's commissioners Thursday that the price of the train and subway station has climbed to $3.44 billion.

Construction director Steven Plate says soaring steel arches designed for the building by architect Santiago Calatrava will cost $221 million, about twice as much as estimated.

Plate says designers had to add extra steel to protect against terrorist attacks. Shipping costs also rose after planners decided to use a foreign contractor that had experience with Calatrava's designs.

Plate says the Port Authority will have to dip into a contingency fund to complete the construction.

- AP