Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Infrastructure

Touring the East Side Access Tunnel, Surrounded By Schist

This morning I took a tour of the MTA's newly completed East Side Access tunnel 140 feet below Midtown Manhattan. My laptop is about to run out of batteries and, of course, I left my power cord at home. (It's a good thing I'm only in charge of running a blog and not, say, a 22-foot diameter, 850-ton tunnel boring machine.) So I'm just going to publish these photos with minimal text. I'll fill in the details later. Warning: If you're not a serious infrastructure geek, you might just want to skip this post altogether.

img_5664-traynor.jpg

Joe Trainor, MTA Capital Construction

16-flights.jpg

Sixteen flights down.

dark-tunnel.jpg

Reminds me of a Merle Travis song.

img_5725-man-car.jpg

The "man car." Not the fanciest press junket.

workers-tunnel.jpg

Heading southbound towards Grand Central.

curve.jpg

Left curve end. Right curve start. 

img_5724-digger.jpg

Digger.

img_5682-welder.jpg

Blow torch.

img_5687-schist.jpg

Manhattan schist.

img_5714-sandhog.jpg

Sandhogs.

img_5703-drilltip.jpg

Drill tip.

img_5695-hoseguy.jpg

 Drill tip and worker.

Back to 63rd Street and 2nd Avenue in all of its sweltering, stylish, SUV-choked glory.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Friday’s Headlines Are Down on Highways

Two outlets recently featured articles on the harmful effects of ongoing freeway projects.

April 26, 2024

Commentary: There is Zero Ambiguity to the West Portal Tragedy

What happened in West Portal was entirely predictable and preventable. The city must now close Ulloa to through traffic and make sure it can never happen again.

April 25, 2024

Talking Headways Podcast: Details of Development Reform in Minnesota, Part I

Jim Kumon of Electric Housing discusses his work as a developer and urban policy educator in the Twin Cities.

April 25, 2024

Thursday’s Headlines Don’t Like Riding on the Passenger Side

Can you take me to the store, and then the bank? I've got five dollars you can put in the tank.

April 25, 2024

Study: When Speed Limits Rise on Interstates, So Do Crash Hot Spots on Nearby Roads

Rising interstate speeds don't just make roads deadlier for people who drive on them — and local decision makers need to be prepared.

April 25, 2024
See all posts