Maybe just maybe for cliffs the east-west route was never off the table. If they lose in court to KWG. The east-west route is back in play and no lives will have to be put on the line to cross a river. The road in the east - west would not cost that much more if any. The extra distance for ore would be by train and would it really cost that much more to get to the smelter? And the ore that's going to china will have a shorter distance. I remember that on cliffs web site the route they had going to the ring was the east-west route. So it would not be the first time a company changed plans because of something what is in their way. They will just go around , and then some will be left out of the plan.