The crumbling sidewalk in NYC’s posh Soho neighborhood has a hole that goes straight down to the subway platform below
The crumbling sidewalk in NYC’s posh Soho neighborhood has a hole that goes straight down to the subway platform below
- New York’s crumbling infrastructure has created a hole in a busy street
- Big Apple residents were stunned when they saw the hole that had opened to the subway below
- The danger was found in the Soho district, one of Manhattan’s most posh neighborhoods
A crumbling sidewalk in one of Manhattan’s most upscale neighborhoods has sparked concern after pedestrians realized they could see subway tracks below.
The hole was just a few feet from the busy Spring Street subway station in the posh Soho neighborhood, forcing crews to hurriedly cover the danger.
An investigation found that several pieces of concrete were loose enough to fall onto the platform, but officials still deemed it safe and kept the subway open.
However, the citizens of the Big Apple weren’t so sure, as she admitted that the city’s ramshackle streets certainly “do not seem safe.”
The large hole raised concerns about New York City’s eroding infrastructure
It was found near the Spring Street tube station in the posh Soho neighborhood
Investigators examined the crack with a “sound and tap test,” testing the subway’s structural integrity by tapping probes against the station’s ceiling.
When they did, enough pieces of concrete fell onto the platform below to fill two bags of loose debris, according to NY1.
Crumbling infrastructure is hardly a new problem for many New Yorkers, but questions have been raised about how the hole could erode all the way through before safety concerns arose.
The MTA said they hurriedly sent teams to investigate after the hole also caused several large cracks on the sidewalk surrounding it.
MTA spokesman David Steckel said crews were inspecting the ceiling to “make any necessary repairs to the station.” “NYCT is coordinating with NYCDOT to ensure that necessary sidewalk repairs are made,” he added in a statement to the New York Post.
‘The area around the hole has now been barricaded both at street level and on the platform below and the station is safe for customers.’
The authority’s director of communications, Eugene Resnick, added that while it’s unclear what caused the hole to open, water seepage has led to “deterioration” of the subway’s ceiling.
“Water infiltration is a constant challenge to the integrity of any underground infrastructure,” he added.
Several large cracks appeared to have formed around the hazard
Despite the apparent risks, officials determined that the gap posed no danger and the 6-path train remained open
While the subway was determined to be safe enough, the MTA says it wants to reinforce the ceiling “as soon as possible.”
And while officials seemed calm about the risks, New Yorkers were less impressed, with one telling NY1, “I’d be worried someone would fall in.”
“The whole station has rusted away,” said another, who felt the subway had fallen into disrepair after officials “hadn’t been there for decades.”
“I mean, I didn’t know it was,” said one resident, noting the thin line between him and the subway tracks below. That seems unsafe.
A waitress nearby who said she often drags trash and chairs onto the sidewalk said, “If I’ve just taken one wrong step down, I think I’m going.”
Officials said the entire station has undergone and passed the “sound and tap test,” and another team of engineers will re-evaluate the matter.
The hole in Spring Street pales in comparison to a massive sinkhole that opened in 2021 in Manhattan’s Upper East Side
New York has been dealing with a number of infrastructure issues in recent years, with the Spring Street hole being nothing compared to a massive sinkhole that opened in 2021 in Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
The ground collapse was about 15 feet in diameter and 20 feet deep.
And in nearby Long Island earlier this year, a woman was swallowed by another eight-foot sinkhole after it opened as she walked through her front yard.