ERT Project Finishes Decommissioning Phase
Written by Jennifer McLawhorn, Managing Editor
Crews remove running rails on the ERT rehab project.
Amtrak
NEW YORK CITY - The East River Tunnel rehabilitation project has finished its decommissioning phase.
In May, RT&S reported that “Amtrak began its first long-term track outage, making it the largest planned outage in recent Amtrak history. The tubes have continued to deteriorate since 2012 when Superstorm Sandy hit the area and damaged Line 1 and Line 2. Once rehabilitated, the tunnels will be useful for another 100 years of service.”
Now, Amtrak reports crews have finished decommission work to the existing tunnel systems, including the power and signaling, as well as installing temporary power, lighting, and ventilation fans. The temporary systems will support work in Line 2, or the first tunnel, over the next year, according to Amtrak.
Demolition of the existing tunnel is currently underway, and crews have removed the tracks. This work will reportedly continue into the fall where crews will remove concrete bench walls that provide emergency access. At the same time, crews will conduct state-of-good-repair work to reinforce the tunnel.
