Brooklyn-Battery tunnel reopened for rush hours

Commuting in the city is slowly getting back to normal, as the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel opened Tuesday to rush-hour traffic.

The 1.7-mile tunnel was flooded from floor to ceiling with some 43 million gallons of water during Hurricane Sandy, forcing it to close for two weeks. Though some parts of the tunnel remain shuttered, cars and buses will be able to traverse it in and out of Manhattan during rush hours.

"While crews continue to work around the clock to repair the extensive damage that Hurricane Sandy inflicted on the Carey Tunnel, we must do everything we can to reduce inconveniences for our commuters driving in and out of Manhattan," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday at the tunnel's reopening.

The eastern tube will open for Manhattan-bound cars and buses from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., then again for Brooklyn-bound cars and buses from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Trucks are still prohibited, and the MTA didn't have a timeframe for the tunnel will be fully reopened for all traffic.

The tunnel was one of the final parts of the city's transit system to reopen after Sandy. Still down is subway service to the Rockaways, which could take up to six months to restore, and R train service between Manhattan and Brooklyn, which is still closed because of heavy tube damage.