In a surprising turn of events, the Queens-Midtown tunnel in New York City was shut down on Wednesday afternoon due to flooding caused by an accidental drilling mishap. The incident occurred when a drilling crew, working on the city's East Side greenway project, accidentally punched a 2.5-inch wide hole in the top of the tunnel, resulting in water pouring through overhead vents onto the roadway.

The flooding led to the closure of both tubes of the tunnel, triggering hours of traffic disruption across the city. Motorists were forced to seek alternate routes, causing heavy congestion on major roadways like the FDR Drive, the BQE, the LIE, and the Grand Central Parkway throughout the afternoon and into the evening.

According to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), which operates the tunnel, the north tube was reopened to traffic shortly after 3 p.m., providing some relief to frustrated commuters. However, it wasn't until around 5:30 p.m. that the south tube was also reopened.

The incident occurred when a subcontractor, working for the city's Economic Development Corporation (EDC)'s design consultant, accidentally drilled into the tunnel. Adrien Lesser, a spokeswoman for the EDC, stated that engineers were evaluating the extent of the damage and had begun working on repairs. In the meantime, the northbound tunnel was temporarily converted to accommodate two-way traffic while the southbound tunnel remained closed.

During a press conference outside the tunnel, Mayor Adams downplayed the severity of the situation, referring to it as a "small leak." Fortunately, no injuries were reported, according to the MTA.

Cathy Sheridan, the MTA's head of Bridges and Tunnels, explained that both tubes of the tunnel were closed as a precautionary measure upon discovering the leak. She noted that the drilling had punctured the tunnel's cast iron lining above the exhaust ducts, causing the water to seep in. It remains uncertain exactly how much water entered the tunnel.

Efforts to address the issue were underway, with interim repairs being carried out by crews who managed to place a temporary plug in the hole. The subcontractor responsible for the incident was identified as Warren George Drilling Specialists, as confirmed by Josh Kraus, the chief infrastructure officer of the development corporation. Kraus assured that a thorough investigation was underway to determine the cause of the accident and ensure that such incidents are prevented in the future.