A construction worker on the massive Hudson Yards Amtrak tunnel project in Manhattan died on October 23 after falling into a dug-out pit.
According to reports, the worker, an employee of New York Concrete Corp. of Staten Island, was at ground level at the Hudson Yards Concrete Casing 3 (HYCC-3) site when it fell 60 feet to the bottom through an opening shortly before 9 a.m. who has not been publicly identified. Local media say he was taken to a local hospital in critical condition, but later pronounced dead.
In a joint statement, the Gateway Development Commission, Amtrak and companies related to the developer extended their condolences to the worker’s family and said all work at the site is suspended while the incident is investigated.
New York Concrete Corp. President Donnamarie Russo, whose company is working on the project in a joint venture with JPL Industries, said in a statement that the JV “is deeply saddened to confirm that a tragic incident occurred today at our project site resulting in the loss of life of a worker. Our thoughts are with the individual’s family, friends and co-workers during this difficult time.”
Safety is JV’s highest priority, and we are cooperating fully with the appropriate authorities as they conduct their investigations. We remain fully committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all people in our workplaces.
A similar incident
The death follows a similar, non-fatal incident last summer at the HYCC-3 site, which is part of the $16 billion effort to build a new Hudson River Tunnel at New York’s Penn Station.
On June 17, a construction worker working in a 30-foot-deep, partially flooded excavation pit was struck in the head by a piece of construction machinery. No further information was released on the extent of the worker’s injuries or the status of the investigation.
The $292 million HYCC-3 project extends the existing concrete shell in a diagonal alignment from 11th Avenue to 30th Street, where it will link to the new tunnel, according to the Gateway project page. The approximately 500-foot-long, 60-foot-wide structure will consist of heavily reinforced concrete 3.5 to 10 feet thick to support the future load of the superstructure platform. A waterproofing membrane will cover the perimeter of the casing. HYCC-3 is being
Although the three-year project is scheduled for completion in 2026, the future of HYCC-3 and the overall Gateway program are in doubt following the Trump Administration’s decision to withhold repayments for the project while it conducts a review of unfavorable business practices. The $7.7 billion second phase of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Second Avenue subway is also affected by the funding pause.
