A Drilling Contractor Punches A Hole In The Midtown Tunnel In Queens Causing Water To Pour In

Posted • September 5, 2024: The drilling contractor accidentally punched a hole in the Queens Midtown Tunnel causing water from the East River to spew into the tunnel. The incident forced officials to close the tunnel for nearly an hour. According to MTA CEO Janno Lieber, a private contractor was "drilling to find pylons for the East River greenway" when the incident happened. "We determined it was a drilling contractor who drilled about a 2.5-inch hole through the cast iron liner," said the president of MTA Bridges and Tunnels Cathy Sheridan.