This modest site notes the human cost of "one of the most complex and intricate engineering projects in the world."
New York City's first two water tunnels were activated in 1917 and 1936 respectively, and in all the years since have never been shut down for inspection or repair. Construction on the third began in 1970 — as with its predecessors, the starting point was the Hillview Reservoir in Yonkers, just north of the Bronx — and continues to this day. Completion of Tunnel No. 3, projected for 2020, will not only enhance the dependability of the city's water supply, it will also enable the sandhogs, as underground construction workers are known, to take a long-overdue look at the plumbing in Tunnels 1 and 2.
Shown below: one of 23 maintenance hole covers that commemorate workers who lost their lives during construction of the tunnel; and a water fountain.
Water Tunnel No. 3 Memorial
Van Cortlandt Park East at East 242nd St., Woodlawn Heights, Bronx
