N.Y.-N.J. PATH tunnels bomb-proofed

Published 29 December 2010

If a small explosive — with enough power to blast a 50-foot hole in a tunnel — were detonated, more than a million gallons of Hudson River water per minute would surge into the PATH tubes; the Port Authority is hardening the tubes against terrorist attacks — placing water-absorbing pads around the tunnels, ringing the inside of the tunnels with blast-resistant steel, and building huge floodgates to seal off a tunnel in case water comes gushing in after a blast

New York-New Jersey Port Authority officials are lowering massive “blankets” over the near-exposed PATH subway tubes beneath the Hudson River, an important step in the agency’s effort to secure the tunnels against a potential terrorist-bomb attack, sources said.

The PATH is especially vulnerable to bombs because the century-old tunnels are not dug into bedrock. Instead, they are inserted below a layer of thick silt and mud.

Officials would not say what the blankets are made of, citing security concerns. The pads would reduce the amount of water that would flow into the tunnels in case of an explosion, and would also help them resist the blast by exerting pressure on the tube, sources said.

All four tubes below the Hudson — two going to the World Trade Center, two going to the West Village — are expected to get the treatment, sources said.

The New York Post reports that the work has progressed from the Jersey City shoreline — not far from the PATH hub at Exchange Place — toward the World Trade Center.

It is the latest step in the agency’s $600 million plan to “harden” its subway system against terror plots.

Those plans, first reported by the Post, also include ringing the inside of the tunnels with blast-resistant steel, and building huge floodgates to seal off a tunnel in case water comes gushing in after a blast.

While the measures may not prevent terrorism, they could reduce the level of damage to the system from an attack and ensure the safety of thousands of passengers.

The tunnel padding is part of the PA’s $5 billion plan to secure its sites, including airports and other facilities.

In 2006, law-enforcement officials foiled a plot to bomb the PATH system. That same year, a terrifying report about the vulnerability of the PATH tunnels to a bomb was leaked to the media.

The report said that if a small explosive — with enough power to blast a 50-foot hole in a tunnel — were detonated, more than a million gallons of Hudson River water per minute would surge into the PATH tubes.