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I read somewhere that the creation of Battery Park City changed the flow of the river just enough to gradually erode the protective layer of river bottom over the Holland Tunnel. maybe this is just some much-needed reinforcement?

saw it on the news, they are in the process of encasing the path tubes in either steel or concrete shells....part of some anti-terrorism thing.

Does anyone know what's going on in the river near Exchange Place? Several barges and cranes have been there for weeks now.

Security blankets

PATH tunnels get bomb-proof wrap

By TOM NAMAKO Transit Reporter

Last Updated: 6:40 AM, December 27, 2010

Posted: 1:30 AM, December 27, 2010

The PATH tunnels are getting an overcoat to protect them from terrorism.

Port Authority officials are lowering massive "blankets" over the near-exposed PATH subway tubes beneath the Hudson River, a dramatic step in the agency's rush to secure them against a potential terrorist-bomb attack, sources said.

The PATH is especially vulnerable to bombs because the century-old tunnels are not dug into bedrock. Instead, they're inserted below a layer of thick silt and mud.

A barge fitted with a crane lowers the reinforced blankets to cover the top of the tubes.

Officials would not say what the blankets are made of, citing security concerns.

The pads would reduce the amount of water that would flow into the tunnels in case of an explosion, and would also help them resist the blast by exerting pressure on the tube, sources said.

All four tubes below the Hudson -- two going to the World Trade Center, two going to the West Village -- are expected to get the treatment, sources said.

The work has progressed from the Jersey City shoreline -- not far from the PATH hub at Exchange Place -- toward the World Trade Center.

It's the latest step in the agency's $600 million plan to "harden" its subway system against terror plots.

Those plans, first reported by The Post, also include ringing the inside of the tunnels with blast-resistant steel and building huge floodgates to seal off a tunnel in case water comes gushing in after a blast.

While the measures may not prevent terrorism, they could reduce the level of damage to the system from an attack and ensure the safety of thousands of passengers.

The tunnel padding is part of the PA's $5 billion plan to secure its sites, including airports and other facilities.

In 2006, law-enforcement officials foiled a plot to bomb the PATH system.

That same year, a terrifying report about the vulnerability of the PATH tunnels to a bomb was leaked to the media.

The report said that if a small explosive -- with enough power to blast a 50-foot hole in a tunnel -- were detonated, more than a million gallons of Hudson River water per minute would surge into the PATH tubes.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/se ... ts_51luOuX7OZISJOmEzhXThO

PATH tunnels get $600M ring of steel

By TOM NAMAKO, Transit Reporter

Last Updated: 10:35 AM, November 30, 2010

Posted: 1:14 AM, November 30, 2010

The Port Authority is working on a hush-hush project to terror-proof the four PATH subway tunnels running under the Hudson River to thwart a potential catastrophic bombing that could flood the system, The Post has learned.

Defense contractors -- toiling in the cloak of darkness -- are installing reinforced metal plates along the interior walls of the tunnels, and massive flood-prevention gates are being erected at either end of the two main lines that run from the World Trade Center and the West Village to Jersey City, sources said.

The flood gates are designed to close off one or more tubes should water come surging in. That would protect other parts of the PATH system and its riders, which number about 250,000 a day.

"These are designed to avoid massive, catastrophic flooding, and the Port Authority will have protocols in place to evacuate everyone in the tunnel first," a source said.

There is pressure on PA officials to finish the incredible, $600 million project -- the World Trade Center memorial is set to open next year, and One WTC is scheduled for completion in 2013.

"They're installing about 15 pieces of steel each night," said a source familiar with the construction work, which happens mostly in the wee hours so that PATH service suffers minimal disruptions.

"There are iron workers in the tunnels installing what appear to be inch-thick plates," the source added.

Part of the $600 million for the project -- which was originally $900 million but was brought in under budget -- was authorized by the PA in 2006.

In that same year, law-enforcement officials foiled a plot to bomb the PATH system. A terrifying report about the vulnerability of the subway's tunnels to a bomb also was leaked to the media.

The report said that if a small explosive -- with enough power to create a 50-foot hole in the tunnel -- were detonated, more than a million gallons of Hudson River water each minute would surge into the tubes.

And one major, specific concern about the PATH tunnels is that they were built nearly a century ago. The four tubes -- two going to the World Trade Center and two going to Greenwich Village -- are essentially iron cylinders that were dug below a thick layer of mud at the bottom of the river.

Those tunnels are thought to be considerably weaker than other underground subway routes, which were bored with gigantic machines into rock.

The majority of the dollars for the PATH project come from the PA, with other money from the Department of Homeland Security and the federal stimulus, the sources said.

"The safety of our customers is the Port Authority's highest priority, which is why we have spent over $5 billion since 9/11 upgrading the security systems at our facilities," said Ernesto Butcher, the agency's chief operating officer.

"Hardening our PATH rail tunnels is one example of that effort."


http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/ma ... el_EWttW8dN6UKpaA2iSbpGRI

very interesting, thanks

part of the project to reinforce the PATH tunnels?

http://gothamist.com/2010/11/30/city_ ... or-proof_path_tunnels.php

Does anyone know what the construction platform in the middle of the Hudson just off Exchange Place is all about?

The first tunnel of the PATH system was dug back in the 1870's. It makes sense that some serious maintenance / capital improvements would be do. Those tunnels are held up by cast iron rings. Not the steel reinforced high density concrete commonly used today.

Does anyone know what this is for/doing?

I bet it's terror-proofing. There was a report some time back that the PATH tunnels were especially vulnerable to attack because they are thin, exposed, and a breach anywhere would flood the entire system.

My boss suggested it could be this:
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/ar ... p-Hudson-River-pollutants

Quote:

The governor turned down money from the Federal Pedestrian Access fund for that.

So it isn't the start of the long-awaited Trans-Hudson Pedestrian Walkway?

I found this on the internet. There is also a Coast Guard Advisory Notice that confirms this.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

March 12, 2010 ? The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has undertaken an initiative that has been publically designated as the "PATH Tunnel Erosion Protection" Project. The Project involves the installation of a Technology designed by the Port Authority, which will be placed on the riverbed above the public transportation tunnels and is designed to mitigate certain damage to the tunnels. The Technology also includes selection of the subcontractors responsible for the manufacturing and implementation of the Technology. This Developmental Testing and Evaluation Designation will expire on April 30, 2013.

I was just going to post about this... I have been wondering too. They were there yesterday also...

Looks like they are going to lower some sort of metal platform into the Hudson right by the Hyatt Hotel. Does anyone know what they are doing?