Thursday, September 5, 2024

Tunnel Vision Incision

 

 NY Post

Water from the East River flowed into the the Queens Midtown Tunnel Wednesday afternoon after a drilling contractor accidentally punched a hole in the roof and caused a deluge that terrified drivers, according to officials and shocking video.

Workers were doing “investigative work related to the design of the upcoming UN esplanade project” when they punctured a hole in the edge of the tunnel, Josh Kraus of the New York City Economic Development Corporation said at a press conference.

The busy passageway sprung a leak in the south tube on the Queens side at around 12:30 p.m., prompting officials to close it for roughly 45 minutes.

Video of the massive leak, showed cars driving trough the tunnel as water cascaded down from square openings.

“Well that’s scary,” said someone in a video posted online by @whatisnewyork.

By 3 p.m. officials had reopened one lane in each direction — but traffic remained snarled.

The tunnel fully reopened hours later, according to Mayor Eric Adams.

“Both tunnels are now back open to east/west directions of travel. There will be some residual delays as traffic gets moving in the area. Please be patient,” the mayor wrote on X just after 6 p.m. 

MTA CEO Janno Lieber said city-funded private contractor caused the damage while drilling to find pylons for the East River greenway and that the hole was 2 1/2 inches in diameter in the roof, according to Fox News.

“We determined it was a drilling contractor who drilled about a 2.5 inch hole through the cast iron liner [of the tunnel],” Cathy Sheridan, President of MTA Bridges and Tunnels said at the press conference.

“We don’t know when we will be open. We hope it will be within hours and not days,” she said.

 

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

You just can't make this stuff up. They have put in a plug (which I suppose is better than someone's thumb!) How unbelievably stupid to be drilling with no idea of what you are doing!!

Anonymous said...

Fake news. Everyone knows that Trump fixed all this four years ago. He built a wonderful tunnel, maybe the best tunnel. Everyone is saying it. Everyone!

Anonymous said...

Wasn't there some movie back in the 90s with Sylvester Stallone with a similar theme?
I wonder what was going through those drivers minds with all that water slamming their car?

Anonymous said...

The Midtown Tunnel is toast. Unbelievable incompetence.

Anonymous said...

I bet they had a bunch of illegals working for them

TS said...

1 ) Call before you dig...... worker who usually spray paints lines on ground will putn marker bouys in water.

2) Drilled 50 feet of water??? Must have used the Milwaulkee Diamond Ultra Wet Core Bit.

3) Free carwash with tunnel toll.

4) Salt water not good for cars.

5) Pay for car wash after exit tunnel.

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