New $2.4 Billion Hudson Yards Station Turns Into Watery Mess Just Months After Opening
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Just six months after opening to the public, the $2.4 billion Hudson Yards subway station has sprung a leak.
Some escalators are out of service, flooding has closed the bathrooms, and there is what looks like mold on the ceiling at the subway stop on 34th Street between 10th and 11th Avenues.
The brand new $2.4-billion #HudonYards Subway Station has sprung a leak. #1010WINS LIVE. pic.twitter.com/TAl67VK1tS
— John Montone1010WINS (@1010WINSMontone) March 15, 2016
"You get wet every time you go up the stairs...It's dripping right through the ceiling, it's dripping right on your head," a construction worker, named Gary, told 1010 WINS' John Montone. "And when you're walking up you can see the water on the escalator floor."
"The escalator when you come downstairs you can see the water dripping down," a commuter, named Danny, said. "It's just a shame, it took so long for this to open up. This is sad."
"It's disgusting," Tom, a contractor working on another project in the area, said. "It's going to be a major operation to do it. They're going to have to dig everything up outside to waterproof it and the Band-Aids that they're going to put on it for grouting it inside it's just going to move the water to another place so it's going to be an ongoing issue."
Two escalators have been shut down in both directions, causing serious congestion during rush hour.
"I've had to walk up, instead of go up the escalator, because the escalators are not working," Jeff Prine told CBS2.
Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokesperson Kevin Ortiz told CBS2's Ilana Gold that Yonkers Contracting Corporation is responsible for the mess because they did the initial work.
"We find the situation as it stands completely unacceptable," Ortiz told CBS2. "It's something we want addressed immediately."
The MTA is now making the company find the source of the water and fix it.
Yonkers Contracting would not go on camera with CBS2, but said they are addressing the problem. The company will have to pay for repairs projected to cost $3 million.
"They have to, as simple as that, and taxpayers shouldn't have to worry, they're not going to be fronting the bill," Ortiz told CBS2. "It is something that's going to be covered by contractor, absolutely."
A spokesman for the MTA said there have been leaks, but no mold at the station, WCBS 880's Marla Diamond reported.
Work on the new station started in 2009 and after being delayed several times was ultimately completed two years behind schedule. A day after opening, an escalator broke and contractors had to take it out of service to make adjustments.
The station at West 34th Street and 11th Avenue extends the 7 line a mile and a half past Times Square. It's the only subway stop south of 59th Street that goes west of 9th Avenue.
It also provides better access to the newly developed west side neighborhood that includes the Javits Center, Hudson River park and the Highline.
The MTA told CBS2 repairs are scheduled to start Friday overnight. They could take up to three months to complete.