"Thought Leaders on Infrastructure" video series:
In this video, Associate CPIP Director and Recipient of the 2022 Cornell Infrastructure Award, Professor Tom O’Rourke explains the damage done to the New York City subway system during Hurricane Sandy in 2012.  A 14 foot surge of water flooded transit tunnels, causing issues with cabling, signaling, and corrosion.  The last tunnel to be restored was the Canarsie Tunnel on the L Line, which carried 500,000 riders per day.  The original plan called for an 18 month closure in 2018, which would have created a significant disruption for businesses and residents.  A creative plan was devised by a team of professors from Cornell and Columbia Universities which kept the tunnel open during the business day, and enabled the project to finish months ahead of schedule and $100 million below budget.