Senator Charles E. Schumer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 4, 2014

SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND ANNOUNCE OVER $336 MILLION IN FEDERAL SANDY FUNDING FOR MTA’S BROOKLYN BATTERY TUNNEL & QUEENS MIDTOWN TUNNEL

After Sandy, Both the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel & Queens Midtown Tunnel Flooded for the First Time Ever; Brooklyn Battery Tunnel Was Filled With Approximately 60 Million Gallons of Water & Midtown Tunnel Was Filled With 20 Million Gallons of Water

Schumer, Gillibrand Announce Over $336 Million Award Through New Alternative Procedures Program Which Provides Lump Sum Payments for Sandy Repairs

FEMA’s Public Assistance Provides Funding for Permanent Repairs & Mitigation Measures at Sandy-Damaged MTA Tunnels

U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten E. Gillibrand today announced over $336 million in federal funding for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to make permanent repairs on the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel and the Queens Midtown Tunnel. The funding is authorized by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)’s Alternative Procedures, which provides a lump sum payment instead of the typical incremental funding by FEMA.

“New York City’s Brooklyn Battery and Queens Midtown Tunnels flooded for the first time ever, with millions of gallons of water, during Superstorm Sandy,” said Senator Schumer. “I am pleased that FEMA is providing the federal funds needed to make repairs at both of these heavily used, Sandy-damaged MTA tunnels in New York City. Mitigation measures, like floodwalls and elevation of key equipment, will help make sure our critical infrastructure is prepared in the event of a future storm.”

“The Brooklyn Battery Tunnel and the Queens Midtown Tunnel are critical thruways for New Yorkers who travel through Brooklyn and Queens,” said Senator Gillibrand. “The tunnels were severely damaged from flooding during Superstorm Sandy and were in dire need of repairs. This FEMA funding is a great investment that will help provide the resources needed to make critical repairs to support the tunnels’ structure and electrical systems. I will continue to work with my colleagues at every level of government to ensure communities are able to fully recover from Superstorm Sandy.”

During Sandy, approximately 60 million gallons of water entered through the Manhattan portal of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel. It took ten days for dewatering for be completed after the storm. This funding will repair architectural, mechanical and electrical components of the tunnel, which serves 46,000 vehicles daily. Mitigation measures include temporary floodwalls at the portal entrances, elevation of key mechanical equipment, as well as floodwall and emergency generator at the Governor’s Island Ventilation Building.

An estimated 20 million gallons of water inundated the Queens portal of the Queens Midtown Tunnel. Floodwaters submerged the lower portions of the tunnel, including its mid-river pump room, before dewatering was completed several days after the storm. The funding will repair architectural, mechanical and electrical components of the tunnel, which serves 70,000 vehicles daily. Mitigation measures include temporary floodwalls at the portal entrances and elevation of key mechanical equipment.

This award provides $336,214,674 in Federal funding to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority for a capped alternative procedure pilot project for permanent work of the Hugh L. Carey (Brooklyn Battery) Tunnel and the Queens Midtown Tunnel in New York, NY that were damaged as a result of, Hurricane Sandy. This capped funding also includes related Hazard Mitigation efforts and Direct Administrative Costs (DAC).

###

Resource Center