Rare tour of Amtrak's East River Tunnels before shutdown for $1.6 billion repair project
Before Amtrak starts its $1.6 billion project to repair the East River Tunnels damaged in Superstorm Sandy, CBS News New York got a rare look inside the tubes hundreds of feet below the surface.
While some fear Amtrak's plan to shut down rail tunnels will be a nightmare for New York City commuters on the Long Island Rail Road, officials say there's no other way to make the repairs.
Rare look inside Amtrak East River Tunnels before shutdown
Amtrak, which owns the East River Tunnels, says two of the four tubes will be closed while crews demolish and remove systems down to the concrete liner, patch crumbling walls, and replace cables and bench walls.
"This is 130-year-old steel," one Amtrak official said.
Our tour of the tunnels revealed some of the specific problems that need to be fixed, including water actively pouring inside and impacting the wires above the tracks.
"This is a great example of the challenges we face in the system. You have water egress," another Amtrak official said.
Repairs expected to take until 2027
The massive project is scheduled for completion in late 2027. Officials say it's been in the works for months and there are no suitable alternatives.
Critics argue LIRR service will see major disruptions once the tunnels are closed and construction begins. The long-term outage has already limited service to Penn Station, like in early May when trains were affected by an issue in one of the tubes.
"The composite of all of that extra work requires that more long-term shut down in order to complete the project quicker, more efficiently and at a lower cost," David Cooper, Amtrak's senior principal project manager, said.
Another Amtrak official said riders should feel confident the work will be done on time.
"They are committed to delivering a quality end product and they've put in a lot of time and effort in making sure that the people who ride on our service get the experience that they deserve," he said.
