A diverse partnership of government, military and private industry professionals have joined forces to remove floodwater caused by Hurricane Sandy’s record-level storm surge from the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, which connects Brooklyn with the island of Manhattan. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is overseeing the unified federal response.
At 9,117 feet (2,779 m), the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel is the longest continuous underwater vehicular tunnel in North America. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) dewatering team, based in Rock Island, Ill., is working closely with the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) to get this vital transportation conduit back in service. The U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy and private contractors are all contributing innovative solutions to speed the effort.
Plans for the Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel date back to the 1920s. Official plans to build the tunnel were submitted in 1930 but were initially not carried out. The New York City Tunnel Authority, created in 1936, was tasked with constructing the tunnel. After unsuccessful attempts to secure federal funds, New York City Parks Commissioner Robert Moses proposed a Brooklyn–Battery Bridge.
However, the public opposed the bridge plan, and the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) rejected the plan several times out of concern that the bridge would impede shipping access to the Brooklyn Navy Yard. This prompted city officials to reconsider plans for a tunnel. Construction on the Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel started on October 28, 1940, but its completion was delayed due to World War II-related material shortages. The tunnel officially opened on May 25, 1950.
The Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel is part of the Interstate Highway System, carrying the entirety of the unsigned Interstate 478 (I-478) since 1971. The tunnel originally carried New York State Route 27A (NY 27A). In 2012, the tunnel was officially renamed after former New York Governor Hugh Carey. It is operated by MTA Bridges and Tunnels as one of the MTA’s nine tolled crossings.
According to en.wikipedia.org; nad.usace.army.mil. Source of photos: internet
