MTA tests Hugh L. Carey and Queens Midtown Tunnels flood doors.
As a part of preparations for potential hurricanes or tropical storms, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Bridges and Tunnels and MTA Construction and Development teams are rolling out overnight flood door tests in the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel and Queens Midtown Tunnel.
MTA says each door weighs 20-plus tons, is 29-feet wide, 14-feet high and nearly two-feet thick. In the event of a coastal storm, the doors provide the last line of defense, preventing water from infiltrating tunnels and causing extensive damage as was seen during Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Eight doors were installed in 2017 as part of the agency’s long-term flood mitigation program.
The doors can only be moved when the tunnel tube is fully closed to traffic. Future testing will take place on the following dates:
