"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.