For the last 3-4 weeks, Roosevelt Island residents have been asking:
Out walking today & saw this in West Channel of East River? Do you know what it is; what it’s for?
The East River Keeper Instagram page tracked down some info and reported:
… Hanging like a spider from a web spun of Queensboro Bridge girders and Roosevelt Island Tram wires, New Jersey-based @northstar_marine’s 145’ #liftboat, VOYAGER, sits above the East River between Sutton Place and Roosevelt Island. It arrived on May 4th….
… From the @uscg’s Local Notice to Mariners: it’s “Conducting marine soil borings on the East River from May 1st to June 5th, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”…
… What could it be up to? Enquiring minds wanna know. And if you know, let us know in the comments or reach out to the @rooseveltislander, so we’re all in the know, no?
East River Keeper adds:
Since arriving under the shadow of the QueensBoro Bridge in early May to stay for a month, there has been intense interest as seen with the @eastRiverkeepers’ May 15th post — 80k views, 1,100 likes, and over 40 comments. Of course, there was speculation ranging from maintenance on a tunnel, connecting a cable to Big Allis for the QueensBoro Renewable Express (the future energy conversion supporting offshore wind farms), even searching for Jimmy Hoffa.
I received a tip about what work the Voyager Lift Boat was doing in the East River and followed up asking Con Ed:
The Voyager Lift Boat has been doing marine soil boring in the East River next to the Queensboro Bridge offshore from Roosevelt Island for the last several weeks. (Please see attached)
It has generated a lot of attention from Roosevelt Island residents and others seeing it and wondering what it is doing.
I have been told that the soil boring is being done for Con Ed for the purpose of building what has been described as a small tunnel so that Con Ed can replace the electricity cables currently on the Queensboro Bridge and put the electricity cables in the tunnel on the East River bed.
Is that true?
Con Ed spokesperson Alfonse Quiroz answered:
Yes. That’s true.
I followed up:
Can you provide any more information about the project such as why the electricity cables are being moved from the Queensboro Bridge to under the East River and about the time frame and cost of the project?
Mr Quiroz replied:
Con Edison will relocate electric transmission lines from the Queensboro Bridge to new crossings beneath the East River, strengthening reliability for customers. Placing the cables underground will better protect them from storms and other hazards, while making maintenance and repairs safer, more efficient, and less costly. The lines supply power to substations in Manhattan and Queens.
A few days ago the Voyager moved from the Manhattan side of the East River
to the Queens side next to Roosevelt Island.
Mystery Solved.