The East Side Access Project Discussion (ESA)

lirr42 wrote:Think underpasses, not deep bored TBM tunnels, Thomas.

Exactly.

lirr42 wrote:Think underpasses, not deep bored TBM tunnels, Thomas.

I understand--I just thought that the top of the tunnels would not be that far below track level...

Does anyone know if the Bypass Tunnels will go directly under the new LIRR Station that is proposed near Sunnyside?

Don't hold your breath for that station. Amtrak said they will never stop there, so it's purpose is gone. It serves no other benefit. The tunnel would be relatively nearby. It passes under Mainline 2 & 4 tracks.

What will be the new speed of trains in Harold Interlocking once the new switches are put into place?

I have seen several diagrams for new tunnels in Queens. My question, though, is where tunnel B/C will meet up with the current tracks in Harold Interlocking?

I don't know too much about speeds, HAROLD has been and will continue to go though lots of changes in the coming years, right now I think the speeds are in the 50's with limited speed crossovers maybe, but I can't be sure.

As to where the tunnels will pop up, my guess is that they will pop up someplace around switch 813 (the long crossover in the middle of the plant that allows eastbound trains to use the westbound LIRR Mainline). It's the one that was OOS last summer for a couple weeks. Putting it there would allow both EB and WB trains to get at it easily.

Depends on the section. The tunnels are suposed to run at 40mph.

jlr3266 wrote:Depends on the section. The tunnels are suposed to run at 40mph.

Does this include the tunnel section underneath the East River and Midtown?

Is there a clean diagram somewhere showing the track layout at Harold after it is all done? I have been trying to follow the construction every week through the MTA weekly postings of photos, but I rarely understand what the pictures showing the work in Harold actually show because I have no idea what is going to be where. For example, I really cannot identify the exact location of the westbound and eastbound bypasses in relationship to the existing and future tracks even though I see work done for them.

On another note, it seems that the supporting piles under Northern Boulevard are gone now and that section of the tunnel is "ready".

What do you mean that the section of tunnel is "ready?"

He meant that section of tunnel is complete. Bit early for that. There is some work to do to complete the lining, but essentially a tunnel now exists across northern Blvd.

All sections of ESA are about 40 mph max.

jlr3266 wrote:He meant that section of tunnel is complete. Bit early for that. There is some work to do to complete the lining, but essentially a tunnel now exists across northern Blvd.

All sections of ESA are about 40 mph max.

Does this include the East River Tunnel segment?

jlr3266 wrote:He meant that section of tunnel is complete. Bit early for that. There is some work to do to complete the lining, but essentially a tunnel now exists across northern Blvd.

Correct. The piles are gone (I saw the pieces in the work staging area off the Queens Boulevard Bridge). I know that there is a quite a bit of work to be done still, but structurally that short section is effectively complete.

Does anyone have an idea when they are expected to dig up the shields of the two TBMs that are currently under Harold? I have the feeling that it is not happening until next summer at the earliest.

Thomas wrote:Does this include the East River Tunnel segment?

The "East River Tunnel Segment" has been structurally complete since the 70-ties, but they probably still need to do some waterproofing and vent structure refurbishing. There is also the big hole between the preexisting tunnel and the Northern Boulevard Crossing which was and still is being used for staging by Judlau for CM009/CM019.

EuroStar wrote:e "East River Tunnel Segment" has been structurally complete since the 70-ties, but they probably still need to do some waterproofing and vent structure refurbishing. There is also the big hole between the preexisting tunnel and the Northern Boulevard Crossing which was and still is being used for staging by Judlau for CM009/CM019

.

My question should have been referenced as: will LIRR trains only be able to run at a maximum speed of 40mph--not any higher--between the Harold Interlocking Tunnels AND Grand Central Terminal once East Side Access opens?

Lets leave the tunnel MAS to the LIRR staff,there is still much fitting out work to be done.