Queens-Midtown Tunnel reopens after contractor drills hole into roof
NEW YORK - The Queens-Midtown Tunnel reopened both tubes to traffic Wednesday evening after a contractor mistakenly drilled a hole into the roof of one the tubes, shutting it down.
The hole allowed water from the East River to leak into the south tube of the tunnel.
The MTA temporarily plugged the leak and says it is working on a permanent plug. The agency wants to assure New Yorkers that, in the meantime, the tunnel is safe to drive through.
The MTA told CBS News New York, "Engineers are evaluating alternatives for a permanent repair. Once the appropriate solution is determined, we will move forward as swiftly as possible. The permanent repair work is not likely to impact drivers/traffic."
Mayor Eric Adams called it a "small leak."
Contractor mistakenly drills into Queens-Midtown Tunnel
The leak took place around 12:30 p.m., officials said. Tunnel traffic was initially shut down in both directions. The north tube reopened in both directions just after 3 p.m., and the south tube reopened around 5:45 p.m.
Officials said a contractor's drill passed through 50 feet of water and then another 50 feet of soil before breaching the tunnel.
"A drilling contractor, who was performing investigative work related to the design of the upcoming U.N. Esplanade Project - this is something that will ultimately continue the East River waterfront - was doing work in the East River, and accidentally perforated a small amount in the outside edge of the Queens-Midtown Tunnel," said Josh Kraus, executive vice president and chief infrastructure officer of the New York City Economic Development Corporation.
"Working with our partners at the EDC, we determined it was the drilling contractor who drilled about a two-and-a-half inch hole through the cast-iron liner, which is above the exhaust duct," Cathy Sheridan, president of the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, said.
"We are investigating every aspect, every element of how we got here in this moment," Kraus added.
Queens-Midtown Tunnel leak stalls evening commute traffic
The MTA said no one was injured and there was no reported vehicle damage, but the leak snarled traffic in the middle of the evening commute. Chopper 2 was live over the scene, capturing lengthy traffic backups.
Drivers were advised to use alternate routes, and all buses that use the tunnel were detoured.
Officials urged New Yorkers to use mass transit while the tunnel was partially shut down, particularly if they were planning on heading to the US Open.
"Horrendous. It's the worst. I haven't seen it worse than this all summer, probably last couple years," one driver said.
"It took us four hours to get in today," another driver said.
Kevin Santucci was trying to find another way to the airport with cars backed up on both sides.
"I had to walk over here because it's just been a real s*** storm over here," he said. "This is insane. He didn't know he was drilling into the wall of the tunnel?"
What happened in the Queens-Midtown Tunnel
Officials said the contractors were doing preliminary work for a new segment of the East River Esplanade.
After lowering the drill 50 feet through the water and drilling another 50 through the ground below, the drill damaged the tunnel tube.
Video taken inside the tunnel showed a vehicle using its windshield wipers, as water seemed to rain within the tunnel.
In a message posted on social media, the MTA initially said the issue was a water main break.
The agency since said that message was sent in error, and the cause was a water condition.
Some facts about the Queens-Midtown Tunnel
The Queens-Midtown Tunnel opened in 1940 and stretches from Hunters Point in Long Island City, Queens to Murray Hill in Manhattan.
Each tunnel tube features two lanes, and is more than 7,400 feet long - roughly 1.4 miles. The diameter of each tube is a foot and half wider than the Holland Tunnel. Ole Singstad served as chief engineer of both the Holland and Queens-Midtown tunnels.
The MTA says roughly 90,000 vehicles use the Queens-Midtown Tunnel each weekday.