Hugh Carey Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel To Reopen Monday On Limited Basis
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced that the Gov. Hugh L. Carey Tunnel, formerly called the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, will reopen for limited rush-hour buses on Monday – two weeks to the day after Superstorm Sandy struck.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority will begin running express buses from Brooklyn and Staten Island through the tunnel on Monday morning, Cuomo's office announced. One lane of one tunnel tube will be available for inbound service from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., and for outbound service between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
The rest of the time, the tunnel will remain closed as repairs continue following devastating flooding.
"I saw first-hand the flooding caused by Hurricane Sandy in the Carey Tunnel, its reopening is a testament to the hard work of MTA workers in the storm's aftermath," Cuomo said in the news release. "The closed tunnel was an inconvenience to New York commuters, and its reopening marks another step in our work to restore vital transportation infrastructure as quickly as possible following Hurricane Sandy."
The Battery Park area was hit with some of the strongest and most devastating storm surge during Superstorm Sandy on the evening of Oct. 29. Water poured into the Manhattan entrance like a racing rapid in a surreal scene that night.
As recently as this past Thursday, the tunnel remained impassable.
On a tour of the tunnel with city officials Thursday afternoon, WCBS 880's Rich Lamb reported the tunnel seemed to be dry at the Manhattan entrance, but a wall of water appeared only a quarter mile in. There was still one mile of water up to the ceiling of the tunnel all the way to Brooklyn, Lamb reported Thursday.
More subway and commuter rail service was also set to resume for the Monday morning commute.
On Sunday morning shortly before 8 a.m., A train service was extended to the Howard Beach Station. From there, shuttle bus service will connect riders to the Mott Avenue - Far Rockaway Station.
Meanwhile, Cuomo and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie announced Sunday afternoon that PATH rail service will resume at the Newark Penn and Harrison stations to Manhattan starting at 5 a.m. Monday.
Last week, PATH service was restored from Journal Square to 33rd Street.
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