Applying Scanning Technology to Tunnel Inspections: Leveraging Technology to Reduce the Public Agita

A large number of transit and vehicular tunnels in the New York Metropolitan area were inundated by the tidal surge caused by Super Storm Sandy on October 29, 2012. The storm created major disruptions to the region's transportation network and resulted in tens of billions of dollars in damage and lost economic activity. Public agencies were hard pressed to restore vital services, and much of the region's citizenry had to cope with lost or damaged residences, power and utility outages, and the loss of much of the public transportation system. Following the storm, one of the highest priorities was the rapid restoration of these transportation facilities. This was essential to getting the regional economy moving again. However, the expedited restoration process did not provide adequate time to perform comprehensive condition surveys of these tunnels, and thus required that surveys be conducted after service restoration.