There is a large piece of equipment being assembled across the street to the HYCC3 project so if it’s going there, it may appear on the live cam.
While the crown has been lit for a while I don’t recall all four sides being lit evenly. So that is welcome news.
A specialized excavation machine is currently being assembled at the Manhattan Ventilation Shaft site.
The equipment being assembled appears to be a Diaphragm Wall excavator, owned by Malcolm Drilling, much like the one pictured below.
This will likely be used to excavate the walls of the shaft, which will be comprised of slurry walls, and the middle will subsequently be dug out once the walls are in place.
11 Likes
Oh! Just like a hydromill but for lighter soil?
Pretty much. The soil here is relatively soft, and a slurry wall was chosen to keep the Hudson River from penetrating the tunnel shaft site. This is also why a ~700-foot portion of the tunnel, which this project also entails, will be built using a tunnel shield instead of a conventional TBM.
2 Likes
Interesting! I’ll dive deeper into their plans.
1 Like
I It seems to be a little different than the Hoboken shaft, perhaps because of different soils.
The Hoboken shaft doesn’t seem to be building the elaboate concrete ring. Dose anyone know the difference between the two jobs?
1 Like
The shaft on the NJ side doesn’t need special work because it’s not soft rock, and they aren’t trying to keep the Hudson River out. The rock is so hard that the Palisades tunnel portal is being blasted to be able to create a launch point for the TBMs. It still will be a slurry wall but I don’t think they need to do the extensive care and reinforcement the NYC shaft requires.
The Hudson site has significantly softer soil and higher amounts of water intrusion, and I noticed from observations at the HYCC3 area that water tends to pool in the excavated areas, even on dry days. That is another reason why extensive waterproofing is being employed there.
In addition, the Gateway Program has updated their photo gallery with recent updates.
10 Likes
The Viele map shows which part of the area is landfill -
5 Likes
6 Likes
Effective tomorrow, slurry wall construction for the Manhattan shaft is to commence.
The excavator is assembled and just about ready to begin digging.
In addition, Tonnelle Avenue’s final segment is nearing completion with a concrete pour expected to occur very soon.
And with the Portal Bridge, it’s a race to the finish. At this point, work is on electrical components, signals, catenary, and other minor work. All heavy construction is largely complete.
24 Likes
Something new is going on at Tonnelle Avenue.
This is either associated with the upcoming TBM delivery or early works for the viaducts that will carry trains from the NEC to the new tubes.
12 Likes
My guess would be they are getting ready for the two TBMs which are due shortly,but that is just a guess.
Thats not a Gateway project.
5 Likes
I recently heard rumors that actual testing of trains on the Portal Bridge will occur by February 2026. No credible sources are available at this time but like a number of other rumors that I’ve heard which turned out to be true, there is some credibility to it so I will be keeping an eye out for additional updates.
8 Likes
Exciting stuff
1 Like
The rumors are true.
There will be a period up to 6 weeks long where disruptions will likely occur as crews connect the new tracks and divert trains to the new bridge. By December, an official statement concerning bridge work will be released as well concerning the planned disruptions to service.
6 Likes
People will probably have to switch to PATH at Newark.
1 Like