The last of the major blasting and excavation underneath Manhattan has been completed, and now work to finish all of the tunnels and add everything they will contain is underway. Earlier today, the MTA uploaded the following video to it's YouTube Channel. The video shows the final blast for the major project at the 55th Street Ventilation Facility.
It was the last of 150 different explosions (that used roughly 13,000 pounds of explosives) that shaped the caverns for the MTA's major project. In all, nearly 200,000 cubic feet of rock was removed by either excavation of blasting from the plenum and shaft.
I have embedded the video in the post below. If you subscribe to get posts by e-mail of RSS, you may have to view this post in your web browser to see the video (or you can view the video directly on YouTube).
Update 4/16 12:30pm: The MTA also uploaded a second video at the same time this morning showing some time-lapse shots of the work going on in parts of the "Q-tip" in Queens. I didn't get the e-mail about this video from YouTube until just now. The second video can be found below, or viewed on YouTube here.
Only 7 more years!
One that immediately comes to mind for me is the non-interlocked siding at the former Center Moriches station, which is frequently used for work train storage. Work Train in Center Moriches Right now there are several freight cars there which appear to contain items used for grade crossing repairs and upgrades. Fright Cars in CM
ReplyDeleteWhat immediately comes to mind for me is the frequent use by LIRR Work Trains of the non-interlocked siding at the former Center Moriches railroad station LIRR Work Train in Center Moriches. Right now there are several freight cars on this siding carrying what appears to be material for grade crossing improvements Freight Cars at CM.
ReplyDeleteTwo ESA Questions:
ReplyDelete1. Is there a projection for how many LIRR customers will use the new terminal?
2. How did you determine the times in your future schedules for GCT v. Penn?
Patrick, you may not be aware that the MTA releases new photos of ESA work on a weekly basis (updated every Thursday) through its *other* Flickr stream which is ESA specific: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mtacc-esa/
ReplyDeleteThe regular "mtaphotos" set is really just photogenic highlights, whereas this one is the details -- much of it concerning less-than-glamorous stuff such as new signals and communications infrastructure around HAROLD, electrical and HVAC systems, underfloor drainage in the former Madison yard space, etc., that the news media and general public might find less interesting.
For #1, it depends on who you ask, and when you ask. I've seen estimates all over the place form 30,000 to 150,000. I am of the inclination that Grand Central will see its heaviest use in the rush hours, and not necessarily as many riders in the off-peak times (since there's not all that much touristy stuff around Grand Central). In my mind, New York Penn will always see the most passenger traffic (and there have been estimates that predict GCT ridership exceeding NYP), because there are the most connection options, and you can get to most places easily from there.
ReplyDeleteIf I had to make a wild guess, I would put it someplace around the 65,000 to 85,000 riders per day mark. But it will be nearly impossible to nail down a figure with any reasonable precision, since it would be difficult to know exactly how many people will be switching, and exactly how many new riders will take to the rails (some suggest that there will be very little or no new riders after ESA opens, and there will only be shifts of existing ridership, but I can't possibly see how that could be the case). Only time will tell at this point.
I have seen the MTANYCC Flickr account before, and the photos they post there are pretty interesting. Unfortunately, all of the photos posted to that account are copyrighted and their reuse is restricted (unlike the photos posted on their regular stream, which can be reused whenever as long as you properly attribute their source.)
ReplyDelete