MTA Dedicates Two Tunnel Boring Machines
Friday, March 18, 2011 - 06:17 PM
The MTA christened two new tunnel boring machines to kick off the Queens Tunneling Phase of the East Side Access Project. The East Side Access Project will provide a nonstop link to Grand Central Station on the LIRR and create a new transportation hub in Sunnyside, Queens.
Five miles of Manhattan bedrock have already been excavated to create two new tunnels slated for completion in May 2011. In April, the underground journey continues through softer soil in Queens for almost two additional miles. All four new tunnels using customized excavation techniques will be finished in October 2012, while the overall project will be put into service by 2016.
The project has been hailed as the largest infrastructure project in the country at a budgeted cost of $8.5 billion according to MTA Chairman Jay H. Walder. That number is a $1.2 billion increase over the projected budget in July 2009.
The tunnel boring machines were nicknamed Tess and Molina by sixth graders at I.S. 204 in Long Island City.
Comments [4]
It's Grand Central TERMINAL, not Station.
The report would be more complete and informative by including a map of the completed porton and routing of the tunnels to be completed, both in Queens and Manhattan. Also include the location of the Sunnyside hub.
I'd like to see photos as the work goes on,,, also a map to follow it
The LIRR East Side Access tunnels will serve Grand Central TERMINAL, not Station. Unless there has been a last-minute change of plans, and the tunnels are headed for the Subway Station, or the Post Office
Leave a Comment
Register for your own account so you can vote on comments, save your favorites, and more. Learn more.
Please stay on topic, be civil, and be brief.
Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. Names are displayed with all comments. We reserve the right to edit any comments posted on this site. Please read the Comment Guidelines before posting. By leaving a comment, you agree to New York Public Radio's Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use.