MTA testing flood doors at Manhattan tunnels this summer
The airtight doors, installed in 2017, can "only be moved when the tunnel tube is fully closed to traffic,” according to the MTA. Credit: Jeff Bachner
A pair of tunnels leading into Manhattan will be partially closed to motorists on several nights this summer as the MTA tests emergency flood doors that would protect the tunnels during a hurricane, officials said.
The Hugh L. Carey Tunnel and Queens Midtown Tunnel will each have one tube closed during the overnight tests. The remaining tube at each of the tunnels will stay open, with one lane of traffic in each direction.
The closures are necessary as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority tests 20-plus ton doors installed at each of the tunnels since Superstorm Sandy to protect the structures from flooding. The tests are “part of preparations for potential hurricanes or tropical storms,” the MTA said in a statement.
The airtight doors “can only be moved when the tunnel tube is fully closed to traffic,” according to the MTA, which installed the massive floodgates in 2017.
Superstorm Sandy inundated the tunnels with millions of gallons of water, leading to the $64 million effort to install the flood doors, which are stamped with the New York State logo and swing shut.
The Hugh L. Carey Tunnel, also known as the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, will be partially closed during overnight hours on July 19, 22, 23, and 24.
The Queens Midtown Tunnel will be partially closed during overnight hours on July 27 and 28, and Aug. 3 and 4.
More information is available at www.mta.info.
Alfonso Castillo has been reporting for Newsday since 1999 and covering the transportation beat since 2008. He grew up in the Bronx and Queens and now lives in Valley Stream with his wife and two sons.
'Keep a little wiggle room in the budget' Back to school shopping is back and costs are actually down compared to last year. NewsdayTV's Ken Buffa and retail research leader Lupine Skelly discuss ways to save on school supplies.
'Keep a little wiggle room in the budget' Back to school shopping is back and costs are actually down compared to last year. NewsdayTV's Ken Buffa and retail research leader Lupine Skelly discuss ways to save on school supplies.
