New York City commuters must find alternate routes Wednesday after the Queens-Midtown Tunnel was shut down due to a water main break.
Commuters looking to drive into Manhattan should avoid the Queens-Midtown Tunnel at all costs, as a drilling mistake Wednesday led to water leaking into the tunnel and closing down both tubes for hours, snarling traffic for miles.
A contractor working for the New York City Economic Development Corporation mistakenly drilled a small hole in the outer casing of the tunnel while doing preliminary work on the East River Esplanade around 12:30 p.m., according to a spokesperson. From that 2.5-inch hole on the outside edge of the tunnel, water was able to get into the south tube via the ventilation ducts, the spokesperson said, and leak onto cars passing through.
All lanes in both tubes finally reopened just before 6 p.m., and heavy traffic delays lasted for hours, not subsiding until later in the evening."Engineers are on site to evaluate any damage and begin on repairs, and the northbound tunnel has been temporarily converted to handle two-way traffic while the southbound tunnel is closed," an EDC spokesperson said."We are working closely with City Hall, NYCEM, MTA, and other city agencies as we continue to respond.
The contractor, working for company Warren George, had drilled 100 feet from the surface — 50 feet through water and 50 feet through soil. Drilling company Warren George did not issue a statement in the aftermath of the leak.The MTA, which initially blamed the leak on a water main break but later deleted their tweet, had said all buses would be detoured and there were delays on the east side of Manhattan due to increased traffic. According to MTA.
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