Queens-Midtown Tunnel breach was a clear warning

How many times have you driven through a tunnel and thought — even just for a moment — that the tube you’re riding in is surrounded by water? How many times have you wondered about the extraordinary engineering feat that allows you to safely move through the rivers between Long Island, Manhattan, New Jersey and beyond?

How often have you worried about what could go wrong?

Assumptions that those tunnels were fully protected were challenged earlier this month, when a crew drilling in the East River punctured the Queens-Midtown Tunnel. Water poured in, the tunnel was shuttered, and our fears were briefly realized. Hours later, temporary repairs were made and the tunnel reopened.

The incident highlights real concerns about the safety of our infrastructure and how the region’s contractors, local government officials, transit executives and others protect the tangled underground web of critical utilities and transportation upon which we all depend. There’s much more to learn about what happened when a contractor on a barge doing work related to the new East River Waterfront Esplanade in Manhattan somehow drilled a 2 1⁄2 -inch hole through 50 feet of soil, into the tunnel’s cast iron liner. The New York City Economic Development Corporation’s investigation will be key to understanding what went wrong.

But what’s clear from a recent Newsday analysis are the severe limitations in our existing systems, including a lack of communication between contractors and government agencies and a dearth of shared information and data.

That starts with a system known as 811, a “call before you dig” network that maintains a map pinpointing ongoing projects and providing guidance as to where pipes and tunnels are located. No one contacted 811 before the drilling that impacted the Queens-Midtown Tunnel.

Making matters worse, it wouldn’t have mattered if they had made contact. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority doesn’t share its data with 811, so its tunnel wasn’t part of the 811 system. The MTA instead expects contractors to contact the authority directly, which seems like an unnecessary extra step. It’s unclear whether the contractor, Warren George LLC, did so.

Certainly, security is a legitimate issue that could impact the willingness of the MTA and others to share sensitive information. But there must be a way authorities, government agencies, utilities and contractors can share information in a secure setting so that everyone understands the area’s infrastructure needs and challenges, especially at a time when construction work is ubiquitous.

Creating a unified map with data from every level of government, utility companies and transportation agencies — and a unified system of notification and communication — makes sense. It’s difficult for massive government bureaucracies to move beyond their silos of security and privacy and work together. But that’s what must happen to prevent accidents like the Queens-Midtown Tunnel incident — or events that could be far worse.