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Queens-Midtown Tunnel repairs complete after drilling accident

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Published  September 8, 2024 11:30am EDT
Queens
FOX 5 NY

Queens-Midtown Tunnel repairs complete

Repairs at the Queens-Midtown tunnel are complete after a drilling accident caused standstill traffic.

QUEENS - Repairs at the Queens-Midtown Tunnel are complete after a drilling accident caused standstill traffic. 

On Wednesday, water began leaking into the south tube after a contractor mistakenly drilled a hole, shutting it down to traffic.

According to MTA CEO Janno Lieber, a private contractor hired by the city of New York was doing exploratory drilling along Manhattan's shore of the East River near the U.N., in order to find pylons that would support a greenway walk project along the riverfront. 

Questions remain after Queens Midtown Tunnel leak

Questions remain over how a contractor could breach the Queens Midtown Tunnel and allow water to come gushing down onto cars, shutting down the tunnel for about 5 hours on Wednesday. FOX 5 NY's Linda Schmidt has the story.

According to Lieber, the contractor got bad information and began drilling atop the tunnel, and punched a 2 ½ inch hole in the tunnel's cast iron liner, sending cascades of water into the tunnel.

Crews were eventually able to plug the hole, but while the tunnel was closed, drivers faced a truly horrendous commute. 

The tunnel reopened Wednesday evening after it was deemed safe to drive through.