# The amazing tunnels under New York



## editor (Feb 24, 2013)

Huge tunnels are being built under New York for the extension of the Long Island Rail Road and they look amazing:

















More: http://gizmodo.com/5985618/incredible-images-of-the-new-massive-tunnels-hollowing-new-york-city


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## flypanam (Feb 24, 2013)

Crossrail just doesn't have the glamour.

Probably no chance of visiting these, I suppose, it being a live site.


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## editor (Feb 24, 2013)

It does look an incredible sight.


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## flypanam (Feb 24, 2013)

More here http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2013/02/the-tunnels-of-nycs-east-side-access-project/100462/


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## petee (Feb 25, 2013)

https://secure.flickr.com/photos/mtaphotos/sets/72157632775809340/
a documentary was made about the workers
http://www.history.com/shows/sandho...to-sandhog#sandhogs-from-filmmaker-to-sandhog


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## ChrisD (Feb 25, 2013)

Interesting thread

".......A huge public works project ............ the cost estimate has been raised to $8.4 billion"  

so in the land of private enterprise they're not afraid to spend a few $$$ on infrastructure then?


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## pogofish (Feb 26, 2013)

ChrisD said:


> Interesting thread
> 
> ".......A huge public works project ............ the cost estimate has been raised to $8.4 billion"
> 
> so in the land of private enterprise they're not afraid to spend a few $$$ on infrastructure then?


 
From what I remember, many US public infrastructure projects are financed by a semi-detached bonds-based method that can prove pretty cost (or tax) effective for coroprate interests, banks etc who are often represented on the boards of the comissioning authorities. And NY more or less wrote the book on using and running them back in the Robert Moses days.


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## Yuwipi Woman (Feb 28, 2013)

ChrisD said:


> Interesting thread
> 
> ".......A huge public works project ............ the cost estimate has been raised to $8.4 billion"
> 
> so in the land of private enterprise they're not afraid to spend a few $$$ on infrastructure then?


 
The new mantra is "socialize costs, privitize profits."


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## Crispy (Feb 28, 2013)

pogofish said:


> From what I remember, many US public infrastructure projects are financed by a semi-detached bonds-based method that can prove pretty cost (or tax) effective for coroprate interests, banks etc who are often represented on the boards of the comissioning authorities. And NY more or less wrote the book on using and running them back in the Robert Moses days.


Yep. Ken tried to use a similar scheme for the Underground modernisation, bringing in Bob Kiley (former CEO of Newy York's Metropolitan Transit Authority) to plan it. But Gordon Brown forced PPP through instead, and the rest is history. £Billions in public money wasted.

The New York project is impressive, but Crossrail is 3x the cost and complexity.

Although this new station will be a monster. 164k/day is 50-60m/year, which is Liverpool St. or Victoria numbers, but underground. 8 platforms in two giant caverns:






You can see the four tunnel mouths per station cavern in the photos in the OP.


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## equationgirl (Mar 2, 2013)

As an engineer I find this truly amazing.


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## Ponyutd (Mar 5, 2013)

Danny Baker is doing a program on tunnels in the u.k.
Not sure when it's due out though.


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## Prince Bert (Mar 11, 2013)

editor said:


>


 
If you stare at his tool for a few seconds it looks like Short Circuit.


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## petee (Apr 9, 2013)

enjoy
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2...on-160-feet-below-grand-central/?ref=nyregion


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## editor (Jun 17, 2013)

Vid above embedded:



Some more pics here  (check out MTA of New York's Flickr page for more).


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## flypanam (Nov 21, 2013)

Along with the tunnels there could be a Lowline companion to the Highline

http://www.thelowline.org/about/project/


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## petee (Jan 4, 2014)

yiz might like this:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/01/05/nyregion/05album-mta-ss.html?_r=0


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## Dogmeat (Jan 24, 2014)

Interesting stuff, I've always had the urge to explore places like that.


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## editor (Nov 5, 2015)

Not sure if they're as impressive as our very own Crossrail ones, but still mighty grand: 

 

  

More here: http://www.theverge.com/2015/11/5/9677300/manhattan-train-tunnel-project-grand-central-lirr-access



> One hundred and fifty feet below the streets of midtown Manhattan, hundreds of construction workers are toiling away at America’s largest and most expensive transportation project. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s $10.2 billion East Side Access connects Grand Central Station to the Long Island Rail Road, the busiest commuter rail system in the country, via a new 6-mile-long tunnel. When finished, it’s expected to serve 162,000 commuters every day. But don’t hold your breath: that won’t happen until December 2022.


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## Crispy (Nov 5, 2015)

Maybe add to your existing thread on the topic? The amazing tunnels under New York


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## editor (Nov 5, 2015)

Done!


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## Crispy (Nov 6, 2015)

While the tunnels aren't as long as Crossrail, the station they're building down there is colossal. The tunnelling looks much easier though. Just hacking through self-supporting rock. No need to prop/line as you go.


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## petee (Feb 16, 2016)

Thought yiz might like this

Inside the Massive New Rail Tunnels Beneath NYC’s Grand Central

ESA (as we call it) would improve my life if it opened tomorrow, but no, I have to wait seven years


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## equationgirl (Feb 18, 2016)

petee said:


> Thought yiz might like this
> 
> Inside the Massive New Rail Tunnels Beneath NYC’s Grand Central
> 
> ESA (as we call it) would improve my life if it opened tomorrow, but no, I have to wait seven years


 Thanks for posting the link  sorry about the wait though.


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## petee (Apr 6, 2016)

yet more tunnels

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/06/n...tpones-work-on-crucial-water-tunnel.html?_r=0


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## petee (Apr 7, 2016)

and in case anyone wants to follow this tempest ...
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/04/0...water-tunnel-in-brooklyn-and-queens.html?_r=0


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## petee (May 24, 2016)

hey, you can see my block in this video
(nb, this is 2 yrs old, some of these sidewalks are back to normal width now)

http://gizmodo.com/watch-workers-blow-up-bedrock-to-make-way-for-nycs-seco-1641713574


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## UnderAnOpenSky (May 24, 2016)

Dogmeat said:


> Interesting stuff, I've always had the urge to explore places like that.



Not quite the same, but slate mines can be vast for huge, underground things constructed by humans.


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## davesgcr (May 28, 2016)

This New NYC Subway Map Shows the Second Avenue Line, So It Has to Really Be Happening

Now on the system map (from my NY correspondant)


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## petee (Jan 2, 2017)

As Second Avenue Subway Opens, a Train Delay Ends in (Happy) Tears


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## bubblesmcgrath (Jan 2, 2017)

Have you seen the G-cans project in Japan? Not transport tunnels but well worth a look...for sheer size.


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## petee (May 31, 2017)

good pictures
Inside New York City's East Side Access, the biggest transportation project in America

bad situation
https://www.villagevoice.com/2017/0...oesnt-want-frustrated-lirr-riders-to-remember


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## petee (May 29, 2021)

on one day, DC green-lights the new hudson tunnels, and ESA is "substantially complete"









						Photos: Major Construction Completed At East Side Access, Still On Schedule For 2022
					

The huge project underneath Grand Central Terminal would provide an East Side connection to Long Island Rail Road.



					gothamist.com


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## petee (Aug 14, 2021)

this is actually informative




i would be one of the people who use ESA
it doesn't shy away from the whopping cost overruns, which have been a hot topic for transit bloggers
you may have heard a little news recently about cuomo ...


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## petee (Nov 15, 2021)

it's done!


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