During the wee hours of the night, a water main break in Times Square sent approximately 1.8 million gallons of water flooding into the subway, causing significant destruction to service on the 1/2/3 lines.
Around 3 a.m. on Tuesday, the NYC Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner, Rohit Aggarwala, reported a rupture in a high-pressure water main. The pipe, which originates from as far back as 1896, fractured near Seventh Avenue close to West 40th Street.
The exact cause of the rupture remained unclear, according to Aggarwala. However, response teams were swiftly dispatched to the location and managed to stop the water flow within an hour. Before this intervention, the surrounding streets and even the adjacent subway station flooded with water.
Local businesses were safe and unaffected because many buildings in the area had redundant water lines.
Alternatively. the nearby subway routes faced issues, especially the 1, 2, and 3 lines, as stated by the MTA.
Commuters were recommended to steer clear of these lines, especially in Manhattan, because the entire service along these lines was affected. There were no 1 or 2 trains operating between Chambers Street and West 96th Street.
Additionally, 3 train service between Manhattan and Brooklyn was halted in both directions.
The excavation, aimed to reach the damaged portion of the pipe underground, left a massive hole in the intersection of 40th Street and Seventh Avenue.
Transit President Rich Davey said that water ran all the way down to the 23rd Street and 14th Street stations!
We hope the flooding didn’t affect your commute!