Drilling errors cause water to enter the Manhattan Tunnel and cause traffic jams

Commuters heading to Manhattan should avoid the Queens-Midtown Tunnel at all costs as a drilling error on Wednesday caused water to enter the tunnel and closed both tubes for hours, causing traffic delays for miles.

A contractor with the New York City Economic Development Corporation accidentally drilled a small hole in the tunnel’s outer shell while doing preparatory work on the East River Esplanade around 12:30 p.m., a spokesman said. That 2.5-inch hole on the tunnel’s outer edge allowed water to enter the south tube via the ventilation shafts and drip onto passing cars, the spokesman said.

A video posted by a driver on Facebook showed water splashing across his windshield.

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“Tell me why the tunnel is leaking. What’s going on here?” the driver responded to the video.

Because of the leak, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority issued an alert before 1:30 p.m. that all lanes in both tubes of the busy tunnel connecting Manhattan and Queens under the East River were “temporarily closed.” It took about an hour and a half to reopen the north tube to traffic in both directions, officials said.

Shortly before 6 p.m., all lanes in both tubes were finally reopened, which resulted in significant traffic disruptions for hours, which only eased over the course of the evening.

“Engineers are on site to assess any damage and begin repairs. The northbound tunnel has been temporarily reconfigured for two-way traffic while the southbound tunnel is closed,” an EDC spokesperson said. “We are working closely with City Hall, NYCEM, MTA and other city agencies as we continue to respond.”

The repairs, which were made Wednesday evening, were only temporary in nature, an official said at a news conference. A permanent solution is expected at a later date. But a plug has been put in place and the leak has subsided, the official said.

The contractor, working for Warren George, had drilled 100 feet below the surface – 50 feet through water and 50 feet through soil. Warren George drilling company did not issue a statement following the leak.

The investigation into the incident was still ongoing.

The MTA, which initially attributed the leak to a burst water main but later deleted its tweet, had said all buses would be rerouted and there would be delays on the east side of Manhattan due to increased traffic. According to MTA.info, QM 1/2/3/4/5/6/10/12/20/24/31/32/34/36/40/42/44 buses will use the 59th St Bridge to access the Long Island Expressway in both directions.

QM 7/8/11/25 buses use the Williamsburg Bridge.

Meanwhile, the Queensboro Bridge will be partially closed Wednesday through Saturday for resurfacing of the upper lane, according to the Department of Transportation. The single-lane upper lane toward Manhattan will be closed 24 hours a day Wednesday through Saturday. The two-lane lane will be closed from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Friday and from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next morning Tuesday through Friday. The outer southbound lane toward Queens will be closed from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. the next morning Sunday through Saturday.

The Queens Midtown Tunnel opened in 1940 to relieve congestion on the East River bridges.