Home » Leaking Tunnel In New York Is Absolute Nightmare Fuel

Leaking Tunnel In New York Is Absolute Nightmare Fuel

Tunnel Leak Trouble Ts2
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Tunnels are a key part of our automotive infrastructure. They take us underground, under lakes, or under rivers, and get us where we’re going. They can be a little claustrophobic at times, or foreboding, but they’re usually safe. You could be forgiven for freaking out, however, if you were driving through when water suddenly started pouring out of the ceiling.

That’s precisely what happened in New York on Wednesday. Commuters saw water coming out of the roof of the tunnel at a significant rate. In video shared by WhatIsNewYork on Twitter, water can be seen coming out of multiple vents and pouring on to vehicles and the roadway below.

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Despite the distressing situation, it took some time before the tunnel was closed. Drivers recorded videos showing the surprising amount of water that was entering the tunnel with traffic still passing through as normal.

Naturally, it’s easy to understand why this would be concerning. Tunnels have limited access for entry and escape, and in the case of the Queens-Midtown tunnel, it passes beneath the East River. The fear of being trapped in a flooding underground tunnel may have felt very real to some at the time.

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As covered by NBC New York, the leak was caused by drilling work undertaken by a contractor working for the city on the East River Esplanade. They accidentally drilled a small hole into the tunnel’s outer casing at approximately 12:30 P.M. according to a spokesperson for the city. The hole measured approximately 2.5 inches in diameter, which sent water spewing into the south tube via the tunnel’s ventilation ducts.

Thankfully, at 1:30 P.M., both tubes of the Queens-Midtown tunnel were closed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). The leak was dealt with before the water got anywhere near a dangerous level, and no injuries were reported. In true New York fashion, approximately an hour and a half later, traffic was once again flowing through the north tube. Getting the south tube open took a while longer, but all lanes across the whole tunnel were opened again by 6 P.M., though heavy traffic continued long into the night due to the closure.

MTA officials stated that the leak had been temporarily plugged, with interim repairs to take place on Wednesday night. A further permanent fix is slated to take some time longer. Photos and video posted to Twitter by WhatIsNewYork purport to show the leak, along with a jury-rigged wooden plug that has been hammered into the hole. New York City Mayor Eric Adams also visited to the site, posting in the evening that the tunnel had been reopened to traffic traveling in both directions. [Ed Note: It’s impressive Mayor Adams made it all the way over from Jersey that fast… – MH]

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This story is a good reminder to think about where you’re digging before you start. Even more so if it’s your job and you’ve got the kind of equipment that can punch holes in city tunnels. Thankfully, this situation didn’t end badly, but it surely gave a few people the jitters when the water started coming down.

Image credits: NYCMayor via Twitter

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Scott
Scott
16 days ago

I couldn’t even begin to guess how many hours I’ve spent in the backseat of my dad’s Cougar, as he drove through the Queens Midtown Tunnel.

My first serious gf even did something rudely affectionate in that backseat in that tunnel, though it seems so improbable that perhaps I’m just imagining that it happened despite what seem like actual memories.

Tunnels make me more nervous than they used to now that I’ve watched so many Youtube videos about tofu-dreg construction of them in China.

Freelivin2713
Freelivin2713
27 days ago

The East River? Oh, that was just Kramer swimming…don’t mind him

Martin Ibert
Martin Ibert
27 days ago

Firstly, the whole was not small at all. 2.5 inches, that is about 6.5 centimetres in real money; that’s huge!
Secondly, that the tunnel was closed is a fail, not a win; the hole should have been plugged way before the tunnel needed to be closed.

Anoos
Anoos
28 days ago

New York City Mayor Eric Adams also visited to the site

Thank goodness. The politicians are here, everything’s under control now.

Mr. Fusion
Mr. Fusion
28 days ago

I really want to listen in on the meeting when the contractor’s representatives try to explain themselves to the city government. I also want to know how much they (or their liability insurer) are on the hook for this clown show.

Space
Space
28 days ago
Reply to  Mr. Fusion

Unless the NYC version of call before you dig messed up and told them to drill in the wrong spot, it has happened before.

Nick Fortes
Nick Fortes
28 days ago

This needs flexseal.gif

Also, love the WhatIsNewYork Insta feed, they always have some interesting and/or funny stuff

Rhymes With Bronco
Rhymes With Bronco
28 days ago
Reply to  Nick Fortes

I just looked at their feed, and you are correct. And I noticed that everyone I know who lived In NYC already follows the account.

Trust Doesn't Rust
Trust Doesn't Rust
29 days ago
Jonathan Hendry
Jonathan Hendry
28 days ago

First thing I thought of, too.

Steve P
Steve P
29 days ago

Free car wash. Fuhgeddaboudit!

Adam Atwell
Adam Atwell
29 days ago

Is the statement “jury-rigged” or “jerry-rigged”? I have used the latter for the better part of 40 years of my life…

Wolfpack57
Wolfpack57
29 days ago
Reply to  Adam Atwell

Jury. The term is derived from sailors, who referred to improper emergency replacement masts (typically using smaller spars than normal, or cannibalizing spares from other masts) as “jury topmasts”, for example. A boat with rigging like this is “jury-rigged”.

Adam Atwell
Adam Atwell
29 days ago
Reply to  Wolfpack57

Well I’ll be… learn something new every day (almost).

Anoos
Anoos
28 days ago
Reply to  Adam Atwell

I thought it was Jerry (or Gerry) Rigged. I had read it was from WWII, when Gerry (slang for Germans?) was really using whatever scraps available to keep the equipment functioning by the end of the conflict.

DONALD FOLEY
DONALD FOLEY
27 days ago
Reply to  Anoos

I’m with you. Merriam-Webster 1st citation of jury- in 1788, 1st citation of jerry- in 1959.

Vetatur Fumare
Vetatur Fumare
26 days ago
Reply to  DONALD FOLEY

So jury is correct, and then jerry crept in since it also fits.

My wife is a descriptivist, I’m a prescriptivist – can’t wait to tell her about this and have a discussion which will bore our kids to tears.

Gubbin
Gubbin
29 days ago

[sign with shovel held threateningly] WE DON’T DIAL 811

Balloondoggle
Balloondoggle
29 days ago

This just reinforces my fears first initiated by repeated viewings of The Dirty Dozen.

Andy the Swede
Andy the Swede
29 days ago

I used to work with tunnel safety and evacuation solutions for 10 years. Here in Sweden, we are building an 11 mile freeway tunnel under Stockholm. We have emergency exits every 100m throughout the tunnel, making it pretty safe in terms of evacuation.

In contrast, check out e.g. the 15 mile Laerdal tunnel in Norway, with zero emergency exits. Don’t want to end up trapped in the middle of that one behind a burning vehicle.

Chartreuse Bison
Chartreuse Bison
29 days ago
Reply to  Andy the Swede

With exits every 100m that’s more a underground road than a tunnel.
Where are you supposed to put emergency exits in a tunnel going under a miles wide body of water?

Crimedog
Crimedog
29 days ago

I think he may have meant that the emergency exits were for people, not their vehicles. I can picture periscope-esque columns of escape hatchery in river crossings, even if they would never get built for their cost.

Chartreuse Bison
Chartreuse Bison
29 days ago
Reply to  Crimedog

I get that, (although it does have actual exits, it’s not an 11 mile straight shot it’s an 11 mile network of tunnels)
But my point still stands, periscope escape tubes would be a massive navigation hazard that defeats the point of tunneling under the whole river

Crimedog
Crimedog
29 days ago

Put them outside the channel? Mark them with buoys? It ‘leaves the center unguarded’…
Yeah, I am not saying it is easy, more a thought process to imagine what could be.

Nick Fortes
Nick Fortes
28 days ago
Reply to  Crimedog

It will be container ships taking these out left and right. They can barely keep them straight to get under a bridge span without hitting the piers

Jonathan Hendry
Jonathan Hendry
28 days ago

Typically they dig a third tunnel in between the traffic tunnels and the emergency exits lead to the third tunnel.

I think that’s more helpful to keep people from being trapped by a collision in the tunnel, than to protect them from a water leak or serious fire. In the event of a fire I suppose it’d depend on whether the tunnels have enough ventilation to allow sufficient air in and let smoke out.

Andy the Swede
Andy the Swede
24 days ago

In the Stockholm tunnel, we do not have a third tunnel as it would be way too expensive. We have two tunnels separating traffic. In case of emergency in one tunnel, evacuation is into the other. Of course this creates other issues that needs to be solved when it comes to quickly communicating with road users in that tunnel, shutting off the lane etc. so that evacuating people can safely access that tunnel.

Andy the Swede
Andy the Swede
24 days ago

That’s the case here in Sweden as well. Solution is to have separate tunnels for traffic in each direction. Where needed, emergency exit leads over to the parallel tunnel tube.

Col Lingus
Col Lingus
29 days ago

Will take a leaky tunnel anyday over some rando taking a leak in my subway car.

Canopysaurus
Canopysaurus
29 days ago
Reply to  Col Lingus

That takes a .38 kind of plugging to remedy.

Musicman27
Musicman27
29 days ago
Reply to  Canopysaurus

Nah, it’s NYC, just swear a ridiculous amount and move to another car.

Last edited 29 days ago by Musicman27
Jonathan Hendry
Jonathan Hendry
28 days ago
Reply to  Canopysaurus

You are Bernie Goetz and I claim my five pounds.

Gubbin
Gubbin
29 days ago
Reply to  Col Lingus

You’re supposed to do that between the cars, jeez!

StillNotATony
StillNotATony
29 days ago

One day, as I was leaving for work, I noticed water coming up out of the ground between my house and my neighbor.

My wife called the water company, and they came out promptly to fix it. However, in the process, they cut the gas line.

The water repair crew called the gas company, and they came out promptly to fix it. However, in the process, they cut the cable.

We called the cable company, and they came out a day later, all but accused us of cutting our own cable, laid a temporary cable across my entire front yard, including my driveway, and returned a week and a half later to bury it.

Call before you dig people.

Speedway Sammy
Speedway Sammy
29 days ago
Reply to  StillNotATony

When a contractor was installing buried fiberoptic cables in our neighborhood, they drilled through a gas line. Half the fire trucks in the entire county showed up. This was despite multiple previous surveys and markings by utility locating crews. The county issued a stop work order and the job wasn’t completed until nearly a year later.

Gee Smith
Gee Smith
29 days ago

Sylvester Stallone has dealt with this before….

Ranwhenparked
Ranwhenparked
29 days ago
Reply to  Gee Smith

And way better than Viggo Mortensen handled it

Scone Muncher
Scone Muncher
29 days ago
Reply to  Gee Smith

Daylight holds up as a thriller, tbh. Decent way to kill 1h54m with some popcorn and a beverage.

Horizontally Opposed
Horizontally Opposed
29 days ago

Also Ed Note about how remarkable was for Adams to show up that fast for the photo op, what with all the Feds all over his inner circle. I got a crisp $100 that says he won’t finish his clearly only term.

Matt Hardigree
Matt Hardigree
29 days ago

Lol, your lips to God’s ears.

Horizontally Opposed
Horizontally Opposed
9 days ago
Reply to  Matt Hardigree

Man, it came even sooner than I thought.

SNL-LOL Jr
SNL-LOL Jr
29 days ago

I’d take Banks over Fuckin’ Carranza every day.
But then I’d take herpes over either of them.
ps: fuck de Blasio

Last edited 29 days ago by SNL-LOL Jr
Crimedog
Crimedog
29 days ago

I have a hundo that says he is elected to his second. I realize that isn’t quite the anti-statement you made, but with two years left, it sort of amounts to the same thing.

Horizontally Opposed
Horizontally Opposed
28 days ago
Reply to  Crimedog

Nah. He is not that skilled at being corrupt, managed to piss off both the bad guys and the good people.

Crimedog
Crimedog
26 days ago

So, is it a bet?

Horizontally Opposed
Horizontally Opposed
26 days ago
Reply to  Crimedog

I take crypto.

Crimedog
Crimedog
26 days ago

Eth is a little more accessible, so we can do that.
Am I hearing it is a bet?

Canopysaurus
Canopysaurus
29 days ago

New York used to be New Amsterdam. You’d think they could have found a Dutch boy descendent to stick a finger in the hole.

Rad Barchetta
Rad Barchetta
29 days ago
Reply to  Canopysaurus

Why they changed it, I can’t say.
People just liked it better that way.

Canopysaurus
Canopysaurus
29 days ago
Reply to  Rad Barchetta

I have a 45 rpm of The Four Lads singing this song in 1953. Betting you know They Might Be Giants’ version from the 90s.

Rad Barchetta
Rad Barchetta
29 days ago
Reply to  Canopysaurus

Ah, yes. One of those little black CDs from the before times. I still have a few of those, too.

AssMatt
AssMatt
29 days ago
Reply to  Canopysaurus

It could be argued that Tiny Toon Adventures changed my life by introducing me to that band. And I’m just now learning it’s a cover!

Mikey
Mikey
29 days ago
Reply to  Rad Barchetta

The Dutch won the last of several Anglo-Dutch Wars in the mid-17th C. As part of the negotiated settlement the Dutch gave the English (note: not British) New Amsterdam, the Duke of York was involved in it somehow

Col Lingus
Col Lingus
29 days ago
Reply to  Canopysaurus

I hear Anthony Weiner is looking for a job…

SNL-LOL Jr
SNL-LOL Jr
29 days ago
Reply to  Col Lingus

Gov. Spitzer lost his job for sticking into things too.

Horizontally Opposed
Horizontally Opposed
28 days ago
Reply to  SNL-LOL Jr

Underrated comment

Adam Schluck
Adam Schluck
29 days ago
Reply to  Canopysaurus

2.5″ is a mighty beefy finger. Now is it coincidence that they also have an article about a beefy burger mascot proving his merits. Match made…

https://www.theautopian.com/big-boy-gets-head-ripped-apart-by-fire-hydrant-holds-onto-cheeseburger-becomes-fast-food-mascot-god/

Musicman27
Musicman27
29 days ago
Reply to  Adam Schluck

I’m sure he’s strong enough to shove his burger up that hole… it could work.

Cheap Bastard
Cheap Bastard
29 days ago
Reply to  Canopysaurus

His *finger*, yeah…

Data
Data
29 days ago
Reply to  Canopysaurus

I duplicated Rad, so I am removing my comment.

Last edited 29 days ago by Data
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