He has walked through the bowels of some of the East Coast's biggest tunneling jobs, from Boston to Washington, D.C., and beyond. But for Gary Almeraris, the biggest thrills of a career packed with notable projects is working on the Second Avenue subway and the extension of the No. 7 line in Manhattan.
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Almeraris also worked closely with MTA engineers and consultants to change the plan for tunneling the Second Avenue subway (SAS). "We hadn't planned to freeze the ground," he says. "We were mining the first tunnel, drilling test holes. In the process, we saw some uncertainties."
Further investigation found an unexpected lack of good rock. So the team decided to use a series of pipes to freeze the east tunnel while going ahead with the west tunnel.
阿尔梅拉里斯说：“我很幸运能遇到很多冻结工作。”这帮助他想到了解决方案。
"Gary was instrumental," says Anil Parikh, Capital Construction's program manager for the $4.45-billion first phase. "He took the lead...and came up with a solution that was successful."
Almeraris' first job, in 1975, was on New York City's 63rd Street Connector, which extended a subway line across the East River. "He brings a unique history and enthusiasm to the work," says Thomas Peyton, project manager for the local construction manager Parsons Brinckerhoff. "He bowls you over with his enthusiasm and knowledge and desire to get the job done."
阿尔梅拉里斯（Almeraris）从纽约城市学院毕业，获得了伍斯特理工学院的管理硕士学位。第63街连接器的实习设置了他的人生课程。他说：“我很幸运，所有这些伟人都指导我 - 手工艺工人和管理人员。”“我的导师让我对隧道兴奋。这不是他们在学校教你的东西。”
Almeraris最终更喜欢坐下来坐在办公室里是很自然的：他的家谱包括瓦工和一名队友。他回想起隧道的一句话：“任何人都可以过山。真正的人穿过山脉。”
He adds, "The underground business is a challenge every day. You never know what you're going to get. You always have to have plan B."
Almeraris is now busy with his next challenge: the SAS's 86th Street station. Skanska and Traylor Bros Inc. hold a $301-million contract to conduct sequential excavation for the future subway station. The job also involves extensive demolition work, excavation support, utility work and the underpinning existing buildings adjacent to the site.
Almeraris says his overall goal is to share his knowledge: "We want to mentor young people, teaching them to go to work and have fun, be safe and, at end of the day—even though it's often a 14-hour day—go home proud of what they did."
