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{{short description|Tunnel between New Jersey and New York}}{{redirect|New York State Route 495|the 1958–1989 routing|Interstate 495 (New York)#History}}{{good article}}{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

factoids

state=NJ495}} (NJ side){{jctNY|495}} (NY side; unsigned and disputed)| crosses = Hudson River| location = Weehawken, New Jersey, to Midtown Manhattan, New York City| status = Open| start = Weehawken, New Jersey| end = New York, New YorkPort Authority of New York and New Jersey| operator = Port Authority of New York and New Jersey| traffic = Automotivelincoln=y}}DATE=2016 PAGE=11 ARCHIVE-DATE=MARCH 11, 2018 URL-STATUS=LIVE, | construction = March 1934 â€“ December 1937 (center tube)1937–1938, 1941–1945 (north tube)1954–1957 (south tube)7482m8216m8006m|abbr=on}} (south)| lanes = 635kph}}| hielevation =-97m}}13m}}21.5m}}| grade =}}The Lincoln Tunnel is an approximately {{convert|1.5|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}} tunnel under the Hudson River, connecting Weehawken, New Jersey, to the west with Midtown Manhattan in New York City to the east. It carries New Jersey Route 495 on the New Jersey side and unsigned New York State Route 495 on the New York side. It was designed by Ole Singstad and named after Abraham Lincoln. The tunnel consists of three vehicular tubes of varying lengths, with two traffic lanes in each tube. The center tube contains reversible lanes, while the northern and southern tubes exclusively carry westbound and eastbound traffic, respectively.The Lincoln Tunnel was originally proposed in the late 1920s and early 1930s as the Midtown Hudson Tunnel. The tubes of the Lincoln Tunnel were constructed in stages between 1934 and 1957. Construction of the central tube, which originally lacked sufficient funding due to the Great Depression, started in 1934 and it opened in 1937. The northern tube started construction in 1936, was delayed due to World War II-related material shortages, and opened in 1945. Although the original plans for the Lincoln Tunnel called for two tubes, a third tube to the south of the existing tunnels was planned in 1950 due to high traffic demand on the other two tubes. The third tube started construction in 1954, with the delay attributed to disputes over tunnel approaches, and opened in 1957. Since then, the Lincoln Tunnel has undergone a series of gradual improvements, including changes to security and tolling methods.The Lincoln Tunnel is one of two automobile tunnels built under the Hudson River, the other being the Holland Tunnel between Jersey City, New Jersey, and Lower Manhattan. The Lincoln Tunnel is also one of six tolled crossings in the New York area owned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The tolls on each crossing are only collected in the New York-bound direction. {{As of|2016}}, both directions of the tunnel carry a combined average of 112,995 vehicular crossings every day. The tunnel is part of New Jersey Route 495 on the western half of the river, and New York State Route 495 on the eastern half of the river. However, the New York state highway designation is not signed, and its use is inconsistent in official documents.

Description

Tubes

(File:Lincoln Tunnel.jpg|alt=|left|thumb|Entrance to the north tube from the New York side)The three tubes, operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (formerly Port of New York Authority), comprise six traffic lanes in total and carry a combined total of 112,995 vehicles per day {{As of|2016|alt=as of 2016}}. In 2017, there were 19,039,210 tolls collected in the eastbound direction.WEB,weblink 2017 Monthly Traffic and Percent of E-ZPass Usage, March 2018, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, May 2, 2018, August 29, 2019,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20190829061506weblink">weblink dead, Although the center tube normally provides one travel lane in each direction, both of the travel lanes in the tunnel's center tube are reversible and can be configured for peak-hour traffic demand if needed.BOOK, Berlow, L., Reference Guide to Famous Engineering Landmarks of the World: Bridges, Tunnels, Dams, Roads and Other Structures, Taylor & Francis, 2015, 978-1-135-93261-9,weblink April 12, 2018, 168, Google Books, April 8, 2023,weblink live, The northern and southern tubes respectively carry westbound and eastbound traffic exclusively.{{Google maps|url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/Lincoln+Tunnel/@40.7624908,-74.0186684,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x89c25835ae442d21:0x2d54ad43ed6985ab!8m2!3d40.7624908!4d-74.0099137|title=Lincoln Tunnel|access-date=December 22, 2016}} Normally, only motor traffic uses the tunnel, but every year, a few bicycle tours and foot races pass through by special arrangement.NEWS, Lincoln Tunnel Challenge draws thousands of runners, Kathleen, Lynn,weblink The Record (Bergen County), The Record, Bergen County, NJ, April 11, 2011, July 20, 2011, September 29, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120929214734weblink">weblink live, Each tube provides a {{convert|21.5|ft|m|adj=mid|-wide}} roadway with two lanes and {{convert|13|ft|m}} of vertical clearance. Most vehicles carrying hazmats are not allowed in the tunnel, and trucks cannot use the center tube. There is a width limit of {{convert|8|ft|6|in}} for vehicles entering the tunnel.WEB,weblink Traffic Restrictions, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, November 24, 2012, December 3, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121203191012weblink">weblink live, Although the three portals are side by side in New Jersey, the north tube portal is one block west of the other two tubes' portals in New York City. The north tube's eastern portal is near Eleventh Avenue between 38th and 39th Streets, while the center and south tubes emerge side by side at Tenth Avenue between 38th and 39th Streets. As a result, the three tubes are of different lengths.WEB,weblink Facts & Info: Lincoln Tunnel, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, March 27, 2018, March 28, 2018,weblink live, The longest tube is the {{convert|8,216|ft|m|adj=on|sp=us}} center tube, which runs parallel to the {{convert|8,006|ft|m|adj=on|sp=us}} southern tube. The northern tube is {{convert|7,482|ft|m|sp=us}} long. On the Manhattan side, there is an Art Deco ventilation shaft located west of 12th Avenue.BOOK, Route 9A Reconstruction Project, Battery Place to 59th St., New York County: Environmental Impact Statement, Route 9A Reconstruction Project, Battery Place to 59th St., New York County: Environmental Impact Statement, 1994,weblink September 15, 2019, 59, May 3, 2023,weblink live, Emergency services at the Lincoln Tunnel are provided by the Port Authority's Tunnel and Bridge Agents, who are stationed at the Port Authority's crossings.WEB, Ford, James, The most important part of commuting you've never heard of: training TBAs, WPIX 11 New York, July 12, 2018,weblink September 12, 2018, September 12, 2018,weblink live, WEB, Kurtz, Gretchen, Road and Rail; On the Job, Way Under Water, The New York Times, 0362-4331, April 13, 2003,weblink September 12, 2018, September 12, 2018,weblink live, They maintain various apparatus such as fire trucks, rescue trucks, and wreckers for serious incidents.WEB, Higgs, Larry, This is how they free up the Lincoln Tunnel when a vehicle gets stuck, NJ.com, August 27, 2018,weblink September 12, 2018, August 28, 2018,weblink live, Port Authority workers also use cameras to monitor the tunnel.

New Jersey approach

The main approach road on the New Jersey side is Route 495, a state highway running in a west–east direction within an open cut through Union City. The New Jersey approach roadway, known as the "Helix" and formerly as the "Corkscrew",BOOK,weblink Crossing Under the Hudson: The Story of the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels, Gillespie, A.K., New Brunswick, NJ, Rutgers University Press, 2011, 978-0-8135-5003-9, 664352288, April 26, 2018, Google Books, February 25, 2023,weblink live, {{Rp|74}} turns in a three-quarters circle before arriving at the entrance to the tunnel. This is because of the steep King's Bluff ledge in Weehawken, which is located right above the tunnel portal. The helix roadway extends over a distance of {{Convert|4000|ft|m}}.(File:Lincoln Helix Harbor Blvd jeh.jpg|upright=1.5|thumb|left|alt=The tunnel's approach road in New Jersey, which is referred to as "The Helix"|The Helix from the east. The highway descends from the top of the ledge (at right, not visible) to the tunnel's toll plaza (background).)Route 495 approaches the Helix from the west, crossing over John F. Kennedy Boulevard East. To the east of the JFK Boulevard East overpass, the roadway of Route 495 curves to the south and starts its descent. At this point, the westbound direction has a northbound ramp that diverges to two streets: northbound JFK Boulevard East, and northbound Park Avenue. Both directions of Route 495 continue south onto a rock shelf and then onto a viaduct, which descends before turning west and then north. While it curves west, the helix crosses JFK Boulevard East again, this time in an east-to-west direction. As the viaduct turns north, Park Avenue begins to follow the viaduct along its west side. The two directions split, and the ramp from the center tube to southbound Park Avenue rises between the two directions of traffic. The ramp from northbound Park Avenue to the eastbound tunnel merges to the outside (east) of the viaduct, while the ramp from the westbound tunnel to southbound Park Avenue dips into a short tunnel underneath the avenue. The avenue itself ascends King's Bluff in a relatively straight line from south to north.As Park Avenue continues to ascend the ledge, the viaduct descends to ground level. The highway lanes then split into the portals for the three tubes, which are ornamented with stone. The tubes then curve east and cross under the Hudson River. This tollbooth has 13 toll lanes.{{As of|2015}}, the Port Authority considered the Helix to have a working lifespan of ten years. Alternatives to its replacement included tunnels under the Palisades directly to the Lincoln Tunnel portals.WEB,weblink Tunnels through the Palisades Could Replace Lincoln Tunnel Helix, NJ.com, September 26, 2015, September 27, 2015, September 28, 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150928183540weblink">weblink live, WEB,weblink Lincoln Tunnel Helix Replacement Program Phase II Planning, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, September 24, 2015, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, September 27, 2015, July 14, 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180714022541weblink">weblink dead, In June 2018, the New Jersey Department of Transportation, which maintains Route 495, announced that it would renovate the structure of the Helix over the course of more than two years. According to the American Highway Users Alliance, the Helix is considered one of the most congested corridors in the east coast of the United States: {{As of|2018|alt=as of 2018}}, drivers spent a cumulative 3.4 million hours per year sitting in congestion at the Helix.NEWS,weblink For New Jersey Commuters, a Sequel to the 'Summer of Hell', June 5, 2018, The New York Times, 0362-4331, June 5, 2018, June 6, 2018,weblink live, An administration building is also located on the New Jersey side, along Boulevard East.

Manhattan approaches

{{multiple image|align=right|direction=vertical|width=220|image1=Lincoln Manh portal 9-38 jeh.JPG|caption1=Manhattan portals of the south and center tubes|image2=Dyer Av and 36 St Apr 2018 01.jpg|caption2=Northbound approach to the tunnel at 36th Street and Dyer Avenue}}Traffic exiting the Lincoln Tunnel in Manhattan typically uses either Dyer Avenue or the Lincoln Tunnel Expressway. Dyer Avenue runs in between Ninth and Tenth Avenues and exists in three segments: 30th–31st Streets, 34th–36th Streets, and 40th–42nd Streets. The Lincoln Tunnel Expressway, a bidirectional divided highway that passes below street level, connects the southernmost section of Dyer Avenue with the Lincoln Tunnel. The primary entrance roadways for the Lincoln Tunnel are Galvin Avenue, as well as the Lincoln Tunnel Expressway and the southern two sections of Dyer Avenue. Galvin Avenue runs in between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues and carries traffic southbound from 42nd to 40th Streets.The southernmost tube, which carries eastbound traffic to New York, surfaces just northeast of the intersection of 38th Street and Tenth Avenue. It leads directly to both the northern and southern legs of Dyer Avenue. The northern leg leads to 40th through 42nd Streets and carries northbound traffic only, while the southern leg leads to 36th through 34th Streets and carries both directions of traffic between these streets. At 36th Street, an exit ramp from the southbound Dyer Avenue leads to the Lincoln Tunnel Expressway, which continues to 31st Street (for westbound traffic) and 30th Street (for eastbound traffic). The surface section of Dyer Avenue continues to 35th Street, where westbound traffic can turn right, and then to 34th Street, where traffic can turn either left or right for eastbound and westbound traffic, respectively.The center tube, which is reversible, ascends to ground level just southeast of 39th Street and Tenth Avenue, parallel to the southernmost tube. The tube funnels directly into the southbound Lincoln Tunnel Expressway, while an exit ramp leads to both legs of Dyer Avenue. A ramp from the northbound expressway also leads to the center tube.The northern tube, carrying westbound traffic to New Jersey, is fed from four ramps. The first ramp originates from the intersection of 30th Street and Dyer Avenue, and leads to the northbound Lincoln Tunnel Expressway. This ramp carries traffic from both northbound Tenth Avenue and southbound Ninth Avenue. The second ramp diverges from eastbound 33rd Street and merges directly into the northbound expressway. The third ramp leads from the segment of Dyer Avenue that runs between 34th Street and 36th Street. This ramp carries traffic only from westbound 34th Street, but also contains interchanges with westbound 35th Street and both directions of 36th Street. The third ramp then merges with the expressway, which descends into a short tunnel until 10th Avenue and 40th Street. At this point, the highway surfaces and there is an option to exit on the left, to westbound 39th Street. This is marked as the last exit in New York. The fourth ramp merges with highway traffic at this point, carrying traffic from the intersection of 40th Street and Galvin Avenue. Traffic traveling eastbound on 40th Street is forced to enter this ramp, while westbound traffic on 40th Street and southbound traffic on Galvin Avenue have the option to either enter the ramp or continue on 40th Street. After the fourth ramp merges into the westbound expressway, the roadway dips into the northern tube just east of Eleventh Avenue.

Exclusive bus lane

(File:Lincoln Tunnel Helix-XBL-Weehawken.tiff|thumb|Lincoln Tunnel Helix during AM rush hour with buses using a normally westbound lane to approach tunnel toll plaza)During the morning rush hour, one traffic lane in the center tube, the Lincoln Tunnel Exclusive Bus Lane (XBL), is used only by buses. It is fed by the New Jersey Turnpike at Exits 16E and 17, and New Jersey Route 3.WEB,weblink Exclusive Bus Lane – Lincoln Tunnel, July 19, 2021, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, July 19, 2021, March 26, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120326000952weblink">weblink live, The XBL is by far the busiest and most productive bus lane in the United States.WEB,weblink Lincoln Tunnel Exclusive Bus Lane Enhancement Study,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20061214034331weblink">weblink Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, December 14, 2006, dead, April 28, 2007, The lane operates weekday mornings from 6:00 to 10:00 a.m., accommodating approximately 1,850 buses and 70,000 commuters, most of whom continue to the Port Authority Bus Terminal. The ridership on the buses using the XBL is higher than that on NJ Transit's commuter rail into Penn Station.NEWS, Making Life Easier for Bus Riders, Lavitt, Michael, June 1, 2005, The Times (Trenton), The Times, Trenton, NJ, Over 100 bus carriers utilize the Exclusive Bus Lane.WEB,weblink The Lincoln Tunnel Exclusive Bus Lane, December 28, 2012, Lincoln Tunnel, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, June 30, 2013, March 26, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120326000952weblink">weblink live, New Jersey Transit operates fifty-seven interstate bus routes through the Lincoln Tunnel, as do numerous regional and long-distance companies.NEWS,weblink Port Authority looking into expanding, replacing Manhattan bus terminal, Strunsky, Steve, June 27, 2013, The Star-Ledger, June 27, 2013, NJ.com, July 1, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130701014719weblink">weblink live, The XBL was first proposed in 1964, when studies were conducted to address the feasibility of such a bus lane during the weekday morning peak period.REPORT,weblink New York, New York (USA) Bus Lanes and Limited-Stop Service, Transit Cooperative Research Program/FTA, 1, June 30, 2013, TCRP Report 90, January 15, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130115200740weblink">weblink live, The XBL was approved on a trial basis in September 1970, since buses from New Jersey would be stuck in the heavy congestion within the tunnel approaches.WEB,weblink Special Bus Lane Backed in Jersey, September 11, 1970, The New York Times, 0362-4331, April 9, 2018, September 19, 2018,weblink live, This bus lane was implemented in December of the same year, exclusively carrying buses during morning rush hours.WEB,weblink Special Lane for Buses Speeds Jersey Riders, Hudson, Edward, December 19, 1970, The New York Times, 0362-4331, April 9, 2018, April 9, 2018,weblink live, Due to the success of the bus lane, it was made permanent after the year-long trial ended. The XBL was suspended in March 2020 in conjunction with restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, and was reinstated in September as traffic reached pre-pandemic levels.WEB, Larry, Higgs, September 18, 2020, NYC bus commuters rejoice, you're getting your exclusive lane back,weblink September 18, 2020, nj, en, April 29, 2022,weblink live,

History

Planning

The idea for a three-tube vehicular tunnel under the Hudson River, connecting Weehawken, New Jersey, with the West Side of Manhattan, New York, was first proposed by Darwin R. James in 1923.NEWS,weblink New Tunnel Firm May Build 3 Tubes, February 21, 1923, The New York Times, May 6, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, May 6, 2018,weblink live, The tube's Manhattan entrance could be built at any point between 23rd and 42nd Streets, while the New Jersey entrance would be located directly across the river in either Hoboken or Weehawken. According to the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, James's company had enough resources to commence construction.NEWS,weblink Declares New Tube Is Sure of Capital, February 22, 1923, The New York Times, May 6, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, May 6, 2018,weblink live, The first trans-Hudson vehicular tunnel, the Holland Tunnel downstream connecting Jersey City, New Jersey, with Lower Manhattan, was under construction at the time. Upon the Holland Tunnel's opening in 1927, it was popular among motorists, leading to the proposal for the Weehawken–Manhattan tunnel in early-1928.NEWS,weblink Two More Tunnels to Jersey Urged, January 23, 1928, The New York Times, March 24, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 24, 2018,weblink live, {{Rp|57}}The Weehawken–Manhattan tunnel, along with the Triborough Tunnel linking the East Side of Manhattan with the New York City borough of Queens, would help facilitate traffic to and from Midtown Manhattan. It was proposed that the two tunnels would eventually form a direct route from New Jersey to eastern Long Island via Manhattan and Queens.NEWS,weblink New Lincoln Tunnel Under Hudson Serves Many New York Motorists, January 21, 1938, Steuben Courier, April 16, 2018, 8, Old Fulton New York Postcards, Another person proposed linking New Jersey and Queens directly via one continuous tunnel.NEWS,weblink Interstate Tube Across City Urged, March 22, 1929, The New York Times, March 24, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 24, 2018,weblink live, By late 1928, both New York and New Jersey had elected new governors, Franklin D. Roosevelt of New York and Morgan F. Larson of New Jersey, and both supported the construction of new transportation links. General George R. Dyer, the chairman of New York's Bridge and Tunnel Commission, and Theodore Boettger, the chairman of the New Jersey's Interstate Bridge and Tunnel Commission jointly co-signed letters to each state's governor.{{Rp|58}} After the Manhattan-Queens tunnel was formally recommended by the New York City Board of Estimate in June 1929, the heads of each state's respective bridge and tunnel commissions reiterated their proposal to extend the Manhattan-Queens tunnel to New Jersey.NEWS,weblink Push Hudson Tube as a 38th St. Link, June 8, 1929, The New York Times, March 24, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, The New York State Legislature considered two proposals for the Weehawken–Manhattan tunnel in January 1930. Although both would connect Weehawken to 38th Street in Manhattan, one proposal called for the Port Authority to build and operate the tunnel, while the other would entail operations by the "Joint Tunnel Committee", composed of the bridge and tunnel commissions of both states.NEWS,weblink New Hudson Tubes Projected in Bills, Warn, W. A., January 9, 1930, The New York Times, March 24, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 24, 2018,weblink live, Later that month, the New Jersey State Legislature created a committee that, among other things, would confer with New York officials regarding the plans for the Weehawken–Manhattan tunnel.NEWS,weblink Jersey Will Speed New Tunnel Plans, 1930, The New York Times, March 24, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 24, 2018,weblink live, In February of that year, New Jersey Governor Larson and New York Lieutenant Governor Herbert H. Lehman agreed to send bills to their respective state legislatures, which would authorize the construction of the tunnel.NEWS,weblink Two States Agree on New Hudson Tube; Legislative Committees Favor Beginning Vehicular Project in Year, but Ban High Cost. Experts to Appear Feb. 27 Port Authority and Bridge and Tunnel Boards to Give Ideas and Estimates on Construction., February 15, 1930, The New York Times, March 24, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 24, 2018,weblink live, {{maplink|frame=yes|frame-width=400|frame-height=300|frame-lat=40.762|frame-long=-74.013|zoom=13|type=line|id=Q125805|title=Lincoln Tunnel|text=Course of the Lincoln Tunnel under the Hudson River, as well as connecting roadways|raw={{Wikipedia:Map data/Wikipedia KML/Lincoln Tunnel}}}}Even though both states had agreed to build the Weehawken–Manhattan tunnel, there were disagreements on who would fund and construct the tunnels.{{Rp|58}}NEWS,weblink Finances Deadlock States in Tube Plan, March 16, 1930, The New York Times, March 24, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 25, 2018,weblink live, The Port Authority and the two states' tunnel commissions both wanted to build the tunnel, but the Port Authority believed the tunnel would cost $95.5 million while the two states' tunnel commissions thought the tunnel would only be $66.9 million. Ole Singstad, chief engineer for both states' tunnel commissions, believed the distance between the two existing Hudson River vehicular crossings, the Holland Tunnel and George Washington Bridge, was large enough that the Weehawken–Manhattan tunnel would carry 10 million vehicles in its first year. By contrast, the Port Authority believed that the tunnel would only carry 7 million vehicles in its first year.{{Rp|59}}NEWS,weblink Estimates Differ on New Hudson Tube, March 7, 1930, The New York Times, March 24, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 25, 2018,weblink live, Another funding issue arose after the Wall Street Crash of 1929, which caused several potential funding sources to be depleted.{{Rp|58}}The jurisdictional disagreement held up financing for the tunnel, but only briefly. In April 1930, the two states' tunnel commissions agreed to merge with the Port of New York Authority. The combined agency, a reorganized Port Authority, would build and operate the Weehawken–Manhattan tunnel.{{Rp|59}}NEWS,weblink Merge Port Control For Tunnel Project, April 5, 1930, The New York Times, March 24, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, June 19, 2018,weblink live, Six Port Authority board members were appointed by New Jersey Governor Larson as part of this merger.NEWS,weblink Port Committees Named, May 14, 1930, The New York Times, March 24, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 25, 2018,weblink live, The agency would be headed by chairman John F. Galvin and vice chairman Frank C. Ferguson.{{Rp|59}}In June 1930, the Port Authority announced that the tunnel would be called "Midtown Hudson Tunnel".NEWS,weblink New Tunnel Is Named, June 20, 1930, The New York Times, March 24, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 24, 2018,weblink live, The same month, the agency began conducting a study of traffic patterns around the proposed tunnel's portals.{{Rp|60}}NEWS,weblink New Traffic Study to Aid Tunnel Plan, June 11, 1930, The New York Times, March 24, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 25, 2018,weblink live, By December, officials from both states were discussing preliminary plans for the tunnel. At the time, it was expected to begin construction the next year with an opening of 1938, and it was projected to cost $95 million, with both states paying a share of the tunnel's cost.NEWS,weblink Conference Weighs Hudson Tube Plans, December 20, 1930, The New York Times, March 24, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 25, 2018,weblink live, In January 1931, the Port Authority decided that the Midtown Hudson Tunnel's construction was feasible. It recommended that the tunnel be constructed immediately so that the tube could begin carrying traffic in 1937. The $95 million cost was proposed to be offset by the 12.5 million vehicles that would use the tunnel in its first year.{{Rp|60}}NEWS,weblink January 13, 1931, Midtown Hudson Tunnel Advocated as Feasible, Brooklyn Standard-Union, April 14, 2018, 3, Old Fulton New York Postcards, The preliminary plans included a "mixing plaza", where traffic to and from the Midtown Hudson and Queens-Midtown Tunnels would either enter the tunnels, exit into local traffic, or continue through the other tunnel.NEWS,weblink $93,600,000 Project for Midtown Tunnel up for City Action, June 13, 1931, The New York Times, March 24, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 25, 2018,weblink live, The start of construction was delayed due to the onset of the Great Depression, a result of the 1929 stock market crash. The Port Authority could not market enough of its bonds at the {{Frac|4|1|4}}% interest rate that it had decided on.{{Rp|60}}NEWS,weblink Hudson Tube Plan Held Up for a Year, March 5, 1932, The New York Times, March 24, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 24, 2018,weblink live, The Port Authority applied to the federal Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) for funds, but the RFC wanted the Port Authority to market these bonds at a 5% rate, which the Port Authority thought was too high.NEWS,weblink Agree on Terms for Tunnel Loan, March 29, 1933, The New York Times, March 24, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 25, 2018,weblink live, The Port Authority wanted to be able to market the bonds at a {{Frac|4|1|2}}% rate, and so it would wait until such a rate was feasible.{{Rp|61}} Despite a lack of funds for the Midtown Hudson Tunnel itself, the Port Authority was buying real estate within the tunnel's right of way, and by April 1932, had purchased much of the real estate within the tunnel's future path.NEWS,weblink Protects New York Against Rivals, April 23, 1932, The New York Times, March 24, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 24, 2018,weblink live, In February 1933, Herbert Lehman, now the Governor of New York, announced that his Emergency Public Works Commission would seek a $75 million loan for the Midtown Hudson Tunnel from the RFC.NEWS,weblink $98,250,000 Works Approved By State as R.F.C. Projects, February 7, 1933, The New York Times, March 24, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 25, 2018,weblink live, In March, after nearly a year of negotiations, the RFC announced a tentative agreement to market these bonds at a {{Frac|4|1|2}}% rate. The Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works (later the Public Works Administration, or PWA) advanced the Midtown Hudson Tunnel project a $37.5 million loan that August.NEWS,weblink Work to Begin In Month: Port Authority's Plans Ready, but More Land Must Be Bought, August 31, 1933, The New York Times, March 24, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 25, 2018,weblink live, The Port Authority accepted the loan, with the intent to start construction within two months. The loan would be repaid at a relatively low interest rate of 4%, although Galvin stated that this loan would only be sufficient to pay for one of the two tubes that were planned.{{Rp|61}}NEWS,weblink Hudson Tube Loan Is Accepted Here, September 1, 1933, The New York Times, March 24, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 25, 2018,weblink live, At the time, the final properties in the tunnel's right-of-way had not yet been purchased.Plans for the New Jersey approach were filed in September 1933. Initially, the approach would curve south to Bergenline Avenue in Union City, and in future phases, the approach would be extended across The Palisades to North Bergen. On the Manhattan side, the tube approach would rise to ground level at around 39th Street east of Tenth Avenue. Between Ninth and Tenth Avenues, the approach would then split in two directions with one roadway going south to 34th Street and the other going north to 42nd Street.NEWS,weblink City Adopts Plans for Hudson Tunnel, November 18, 1933, The New York Times, March 24, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 25, 2018,weblink live, The United States Department of War held a hearing about the proposed tunnel, in which it received only two complaints, both from shipping lines that were concerned about the Port Authority's intention to use "blankets" to cover the tubes. The blankets were to be located {{Convert|40|ft|m}} below mean water level, about the same depth as the bottoms of the shipping companies' vessels. The Department of War gave permission for the Midtown Hudson Tunnel's construction in October 1933, noting that the top of the new tunnel would be at least {{Convert|60|ft|m}} below mean water level, which would allow the Hudson River to be dredged to a lower depth if necessary.NEWS,weblink Allows Building Midtown Tunnel: War Department Grants Authority to the Port of New York Authority, October 1, 1933, The New York Times, March 24, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 25, 2018,weblink live, Preliminary borings were drilled in the bottom of the riverbed so builders could determine the geology of the tunnel's route.{{Rp|61}}

First tube

Early progress

In November 1933, the Port Authority announced that it had picked the chief engineers for the Midtown Hudson Tunnel. These officials included O. H. Ammann as the Chief Engineer; Ole Singstad, the New York and New Jersey Tunnel Commissions' former chief engineer, as the Chief Tunnel Consulting Engineer; Ralph Smillie, the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority chief engineer, as Design Engineer; Robert Ridgway and James Forgie as tunnel consultants; Charles S. Gleim as Engineer of Construction; and Port Authority Commissioner Alexander J. Shamberg as chief of the division that would oversee construction. The Port Authority's former chairman, John Galvin, would be retained as a consultant.{{Rp|61}}NEWS,weblink Engineers Named for 38th St. Tube, November 19, 1933, The New York Times, March 24, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 25, 2018,weblink live, The construction work itself would be supervised by George Breck Montgomery, who had served in the same position for the Holland Tunnel's construction.{{Rp|62}}The tube would stretch {{Convert|6000|ft|m}} from the New Jersey side's ventilation shaft to the New York side's construction shaft, but the total length between portals would be {{Convert|8218|ft|m}}. It was slated to have a diameter of {{Convert|31|ft|m}} carrying a {{Convert|21|ft|m|-wide|adj=mid}} roadway, with a cast-iron and steel outer lining and a concrete inner lining. This contract would also include the construction of ventilation shafts on each side, as well as {{Convert|60|ft|m}} of additional tunnel on the New Jersey side. The tube was to be bored using the shield-tunneling method, and shields would proceed from both sides at the same time. The shield on the New York side would pass through a caisson, which allowed air pressure in the tunnel to be maintained while the tube was being bored. Tunneling work would start on the New York side first because a construction shaft had already been sunk to the west of Eleventh Avenue, while the New Jersey shaft would be sunk later.NEWS,weblink 38th St. Tube Is to Be Opened Feb. 6, January 2, 1934, The New York Times, March 24, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 25, 2018,weblink live, Thirty-two ventilation buildings would be constructed, of which 15 would pull air into the tunnel, and 17 would exhaust air from the tunnel.NEWS,weblink How Tube Is Ventilated, January 28, 1938, The New York Times, March 27, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 28, 2018,weblink live, The Port Authority received five bids for the construction of the Midtown Hudson Tunnel.NEWS,weblink Five Bid on Section of Midtown Tube, February 22, 1934, The New York Times, March 24, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 25, 2018,weblink live, Construction began on the first tube, now the center of the three tubes, on May 18, 1934, with ceremonies on both sides. Officials from the federal, state, and city levels were in attendance at the ceremony on the New York side, where New York City Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia and New Jersey Governor A. Harry Moore wielded picks to dig up the ceremonial first mound of dirt.{{Rp|62–65}}NEWS,weblink Fetes in 2 States Start Hudson Tube, May 18, 1934, The New York Times, March 24, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 25, 2018,weblink live, The 700-ton cubical caisson for the New York side was floated into place and sunk into the riverbed in July.NEWS,weblink 600-Ton Caisson for the 38th St. Tunnel Floated Here on Tide and Put Into Place, July 18, 1934, The New York Times, March 24, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 25, 2018,weblink live, Even though the caisson had been manufactured in nearby Kearny, New Jersey, it had taken two days to be floated to Manhattan because the caisson was so large.{{Rp|66}} Also in July, issues arose when the City of Weehawken refused to let the Port Authority conduct blasting for the New Jersey ventilation shaft for more than 12 hours a day. The Port Authority warned that this could delay construction.NEWS,weblink Free Hand Asked for Tube Blasting, July 7, 1934, The New York Times, March 24, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 25, 2018,weblink live, Another disagreement concerned the hiring of unskilled laborers to work on the Midtown Hudson Tunnel construction project. Unionized skilled laborers, who feared that their specialized jobs were being given to unskilled laborers, briefly threatened to strike over "unfair labor practices", as the author Angus Gillespie states in his book Crossing Under the Hudson.{{Rp|67}} After twenty days, officials guaranteed that skilled jobs would be awarded only to skilled laborers, and work resumed.{{Rp|67–69}}(File:Lincoln Tunnel under construction 1936.jpg|thumb|Construction progress, 1936)Meanwhile, the Port Authority still had not acquired and cleared all of the land in the way of the Midtown Hudson Tunnel's approaches.NEWS,weblink $492,650 Awarded for Tunnel Land, June 22, 1934, The New York Times, March 24, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 25, 2018,weblink live, Construction of the approaches on the New York side necessitated the demolition of 91 buildings, mainly tenements, between Ninth and Tenth Avenues from 34th to 42nd Street.{{Rp|69}} These buildings, located in the neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen, were seen as either being already dilapidated, or nearing such a condition.NEWS,weblink Part of Hell's Kitchen Doomed by Tunnel: 91 Houses to Be Razed to Build Approach, August 27, 1934, The New York Times, March 24, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 25, 2018,weblink live, The demolition process was inadvertently aided by a fire that burned down one of the condemned buildings in October 1934.NEWS,weblink Blaze in 39th St. Aids Tube Project, October 27, 1934, The New York Times, March 24, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 25, 2018,weblink live, Bidding for the New York approach was opened in June 1935, by which point the demolition of the 91 buildings was well underway.NEWS,weblink Bids Are Opened for Tunnel Plaza, June 14, 1935, The New York Times, March 26, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 26, 2018,weblink live, On the New Jersey side, there were disagreements over how to construct the approach, since Weehawken had been built on a sharp ledge called King's Bluff. In July 1935, after discussing 75 proposals for two and a half years, the Weehawken town council voted to approve a distinctive "loop" approach.{{Rp|65}}NEWS,weblink Weehawken Votes for Tube Approach, July 13, 1935, The New York Times, March 26, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 26, 2018,weblink live, At the western end of the Midtown Hudson Tunnel in New Jersey, the tube would curve south and then end at a portal, where there would be a toll plaza. A road would diverge to the east, then quickly turn north and then west while ascending the ledge.NEWS,weblink Approach to Tunnel Is Shown in Model, November 21, 1936, The New York Times, March 26, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 27, 2018,weblink live, This loop would lead from Hudson Boulevard East at the bottom of King's Bluff to Pleasant Avenue at the top.NEWS,weblink Tunnel Approach Bid Let, July 9, 1937, The New York Times, March 27, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 28, 2018,weblink live, Sandhogs, specialized construction workers, proceeded to dig the Midtown Hudson Tunnel from both ends, boring a tube that measured {{Convert|32|ft|m}} in diameter and {{Convert|8,000|ft|m}} between ventilation shafts.{{Rp|65}} It was generally easier to dig from the New Jersey side, which consisted mostly of muddy sediment, than from the New York side, which contained many tons of rocks.{{Rp|71}} Compressed air was used to prevent river water from flooding the tunnel, and a temporary bulkhead was built a few yards past the construction shaft, through which air was pumped. The tunneling shields continued digging past the bulkhead, within the pressurized chamber. An airlock was provided in order to prevent workers from undergoing sudden depressurization. Each sandhog worked two 3-hour-long shifts per day, punctuated by a break of three hours.{{Rp|66}} After a section of the bore was completed, the sandhogs assembled segments of 14 curved metal pieces into rings that measured 31 feet in diameter and weighed 20 tons.NEWS,weblink Under The Hudson with the Sandhogs, Robbins, L. H., March 17, 1935, The New York Times, March 26, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 26, 2018,weblink live, During the process of construction, {{Convert|145000|yd3|m3}} of sediment and earth and {{Convert|28000|yd3|m3}} of rocky dirt were displaced, and 2,370 metal rings were installed.NEWS,weblink Midtown River Tube Pushes on to Goal, Bernstein, Victor H., July 28, 1935, The New York Times, March 26, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 26, 2018,weblink live, The reporter L.H. Robbins wrote a descriptive account of the construction work, comparing the tunnel shield to a "Steel Hercules", calling the sandhogs "ox-strong, rough-clad", and describing the tunnel itself as being like "a bit of the realm of Tartarus".{{Rp|69–71}}The Midtown Hudson Tunnel's vehicular tube was being excavated from both ends, but the teams on the New Jersey side worked faster because the ground there was softer. As a result, most of the work had been undertaken by the teams working from the New Jersey side, and the two ends of the tube were ultimately connected at the caisson on the New York side.{{Rp|72}} The tunneling work posed some danger: three workers were killed in tunneling incidents during the first year of construction, and a dynamite accident in April 1935 killed three more sandhogs.NEWS,weblink 3 Dead, 1 Injured by Tunnel Blast, April 9, 1935, The New York Times, March 26, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 26, 2018,weblink live, The sandhogs dug at an average rate of {{Convert|25|ft|m}} per day,NEWS,weblink Cameras Record Work Under River, February 20, 1935, The New York Times, March 26, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 26, 2018,weblink live, and by May 1935, workers from the New Jersey side had dug past the state border.{{Rp|72}} By June, half of the tunnel had been excavated.NEWS,weblink Pass Half-Way Mark on Tunnel, May 28, 1935, The New York Times, March 26, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 26, 2018,weblink live, During one week that month, sandhogs dug {{Convert|250|ft|m}} of tunnel,NEWS,weblink Tunnel Work Set Record, June 11, 1935, The New York Times, March 26, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 26, 2018,weblink live, which the Port Authority proclaimed was world record in tunnel-digging.{{Rp|72}} The two parts of the tube were connected in a ceremony in August 1935, four months ahead of schedule.NEWS,weblink Hudson Sandhogs Set Tunnel Mark, August 3, 1935, The New York Times, March 26, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 26, 2018,weblink live, The method of financing the Midtown Hudson Tunnel was revised in late 1935. Originally, the Port Authority had advertised $34.3 million in bonds at a 4% interest rate, with the first issue of bonds set to mature in 1975.NEWS,weblink The Port of New York Authority General and Refunding Bonds to Be Dated March 1, 1935, March 1, 1935, New York Evening Post, April 14, 2018, 21, Old Fulton New York Postcards, January 24, 2024,weblink live, In November, the PWA announced that it would change the $37.5 million loan to a $4.78 million grant once the Port Authority had sold the PWA $22.3 million in bonds.NEWS,weblink PWA Drops Tunnel Loan, November 26, 1935, The New York Times, March 26, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 26, 2018,weblink live, The rest of the outstanding balance, approximately $10.4 million, was to be raised privately, and the Port Authority would have raised $32.7 million in bonds by the time the grant was awarded.NEWS,weblink Financing Altered For Midtown Tube, 1936, The New York Times, March 26, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 26, 2018,weblink live, The next month, the Port Authority awarded a $16.5 million bond issue at {{Frac|3|3|4}}% interest rate.NEWS,weblink Tunnel Bonds Sold by Port Authority, December 12, 1935, The New York Times, March 26, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 26, 2018,weblink live, The PWA advanced the grant to the Port Authority in January 1936.In December 1935, the Port Authority advertised bids for the Weehawken entrance plaza. The plaza consisted of the loop approach; garages for maintenance buildings; a tollbooth; a {{Convert|145|ft|m|adj=on}} steel, brick, and sandstone ventilation building above the tunnel; a section of tube connecting the plaza to the existing underwater segment; and space for a second tunnel portal to the north of the first portal.NEWS,weblink 13 Bids Are Submitted for Midtown Tunnel, December 20, 1935, The New York Times, March 26, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 26, 2018,weblink live, {{Rp|74}} By this time, the Midtown Hudson Tunnel project was one-third completed.NEWS,weblink Tunnel Third Completed, December 8, 1935, The New York Times, March 26, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 26, 2018,weblink live, The part of the tube that connected to the entrance plaza was holed-through in September of the same year.NEWS,weblink Midtown Tunnel Is Holed Through, September 2, 1936, The New York Times, March 26, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 26, 2018,weblink live, New Jersey civic groups stated that they needed to raise another $9 million in bond funds, since the construction of the proposed entrance plaza in Weehawken would bring the project's cost to $46.5 million.NEWS,weblink More Funds Asked for Hudson Tube, February 18, 1936, The New York Times, March 26, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 26, 2018,weblink live, This cost would be composed of $42 million raised in bonds plus the $4.78 million PWA grant.NEWS,weblink Twin Hudson Tube to Be Bored Soon at $33,000,000 Cost, November 25, 1936, The New York Times, March 26, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 27, 2018,weblink live, That November, the Port Authority's commissioners authorized the agency to seek an additional $9 million in funds from the PWA.Simultaneously, work began on retrofitting the tunnel for vehicular use, so it could be in operation by the time the 1939 New York World's Fair started. The retrofits consisted of installing ceiling panels with exhaust pipes; a roadway with air ducts; and straight retaining walls with ceramic tiles, metal police booths, and a catwalk for maintenance and emergency uses.{{Rp|72–73}} Workers installed 800,000 glass tiles, each {{Convert|6|in|cm}} square, along the ceiling of the tube, comprising what The New York Times described as "the largest glass ceiling in the world".NEWS,weblink Glass Tile Ceiling Planned for Tube, December 17, 1935, The New York Times, March 26, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 27, 2018,weblink live, After an unexpected gasoline leak from gas stations near the Midtown Hudson Tunnel, workers installed fireproof copper sheeting within the tunnel.NEWS,weblink Tunnel Cost Up $60,000, March 14, 1936, The New York Times, March 26, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 27, 2018,weblink live, By that October, most of the tube-retrofitting work had been completed, and the Midtown Hudson Tunnel was scheduled to open in fall 1937, several months ahead of schedule. The only major parts of the tunnel that had not been completed were the approaches on either side, but these were progressing quickly as well, as the New York approach plaza was already being excavated.{{Rp|73}}NEWS,weblink Midtown Tube Work Far Past Schedule, October 2, 1936, The New York Times, March 26, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 27, 2018,weblink live,

Nearing completion

By April 1937, the Midtown Hudson Tunnel was 75% completed, and its opening was projected for the next year.NEWS,weblink New Hudson Tube Found 75% Ready, April 1, 1937, The New York Times, March 26, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 27, 2018,weblink live, As the tunnel could be confused with the Queens–Midtown Tunnel on the other side of Manhattan, the Port Authority decided to rename the project that month.{{Rp|75}}NEWS,weblink 39th St. Tube Gets Name of Lincoln, April 17, 1937, The New York Times, March 24, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 24, 2018,weblink live, According to Gillespie, the Midtown Hudson Tunnel was renamed after U.S. President Abraham Lincoln because the Port Authority believed that the tunnel was "parallel to the importance of the George Washington Bridge", which had been named after the first U.S. President.{{Rp|75}}WEB,weblink Hoboken Museum exhibit explores history of Holland, Lincoln tunnels, Hortillosa, Summer Dawn, January 24, 2012, NJ.com, October 4, 2012, October 20, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20131020072649weblink">weblink live, Several other names had been considered and rejected. At the same time, the two under-construction approaches on the New York side were named after Port Authority chairmen who had been important figures in the Lincoln Tunnel's construction. Galvin Avenue, which would connect the tunnel north to 42nd Street, was named after John F. Galvin. Dyer Avenue, which would lead south to 34th Street, was named for General George R. Dyer, who had died by that point. A contract for the Weehawken approach, the first part of a future "express highway" to the tunnel (now New Jersey Route 495), was awarded in July 1937.By October of the same year, the Lincoln Tunnel's first tube was very close to completion, and an inspection ceremony was held for New York and New Jersey politicians. The tube's opening was pushed forward several weeks from spring 1938 to late 1937.{{Rp|75}}NEWS,weblink Lincoln Tube Open for Traffic Dec. 22, October 16, 1937, The New York Times, March 27, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 28, 2018,weblink live, It was estimated that the construction of the Lincoln Tunnel had directly employed 2,800 workers at its peak, working a combined 6.3 million hours, and that workers across 40 states had worked for a combined 15 million hours to produce materials for the construction effort.NEWS,weblink Lincoln Tube Funds Benefit 40 States, December 6, 1937, The New York Times, March 27, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 28, 2018,weblink live,

Opening and early years

File:2018-07-08 10 45 46 View east along New Jersey State Route 495 (Lincoln Tunnel Approach) at the western entrance of the Lincoln Tunnel in Weehawken Township, Hudson County, New Jersey.jpg|alt=|thumb|Entrance of the tunnel from Weehawken, New JerseyWeehawken, New JerseyThe first tube was formally dedicated on December 21, 1937. The opening ceremony was accompanied by a military parade on the New Jersey side, as well as the detonation of a series of aerial bombs launched from military ships. It was also marked by separate speeches from New York City Mayor La Guardia and the governors of New York and New Jersey.{{Rp|76}}NEWS,weblink Lincoln Tunnel Is Opened With Festive Ceremonies, December 22, 1937, The New York Times, March 26, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 27, 2018,weblink live, The first vehicles began passing through the tube at 4:00 AM the next day.{{Rp|77}}NEWS,weblink Lincoln Tunnel Dedicated at Ceremony Here, December 21, 1937, New York Sun, April 14, 2018, 1, 23, Old Fulton New York Postcards, NEWS,weblink Another Vehicular Tunnel Under Hudson River Now Connects New York and New Jersey, December 27, 1937, Life (magazine), Life, March 27, 2010, Google Books, 18, The sculptor Julio Kilenyi created a commemorative medal for the tunnel's opening ceremony, having created similar medals for the opening of the Holland Tunnel and George Washington Bridge.NEWS,weblink Medal Designed for New Tunnel, November 22, 1937, The New York Times, March 26, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 27, 2018,weblink live, The newly opened tube carried traffic in both directions. Passenger cars traveling in either direction were charged 50 cents for single trips, the same as on the Holland Tunnel, the George Washington Bridge, and the three bridges between Staten Island and New Jersey.NEWS,weblink Lincoln Tube Tolls Fixed by Authority, December 13, 1937, The New York Times, April 27, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 27, 2018,weblink live, If passenger-car drivers were traveling to or from Staten Island within the same trip, they paid 75 cents.{{Rp|75}} Different toll rates applied to tractor-trailers, who paid $2, and motorcycles, who paid 25 cents. Pedestrians, animals, and bicyclists were prohibited from using the tunnel. Due to the limited capacity of the new tube, heavy trucks were temporarily banned, and a minimum speed limit of {{Convert|20|mph|kph}} was imposed until a second tube could be completed.{{Rp|75}}NEWS,weblink Slow Trucks Barred from Lincoln Tube, December 7, 1937, The New York Times, March 27, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 28, 2018,weblink live, Two gasoline-electric tow trucks, dubbed as the largest of their kind, were delivered to the Lincoln Tunnel in case a vehicle broke down.NEWS,weblink Lincoln Tunnel to Get Mighty Wrecking Truck, December 20, 1937, The New York Times, March 27, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 28, 2018,weblink live, Two hundred staff were hired to oversee day-to-day operations of the tunnel, working at an administration building on the New Jersey side. Two telephone systems were also installed within the tunnel, one for communicating with workers in the administration building and the other for contacting emergency services.The tube was used by 3,700 vehicles within the first 12 hours of its opening,NEWS,weblink 3,700 Use Tunnel in First 12 Hours, December 23, 1937, The New York Times, March 27, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 28, 2018,weblink live, and by 7,661 vehicles within the first 24 hours.{{Rp|78}}NEWS,weblink 7,661 Cars Use Tunnel, December 24, 1937, The New York Times, March 27, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 28, 2018,weblink live, The Port Authority devised a slogan to encourage motorists to use the tunnel, advertising it as "the Direct Way to Times Square" and erecting road signs to that effect.NEWS,weblink Lincoln Tunnel Sloganeers Tell Autoists 'Travel the Direct Way to Times Square', March 31, 1938, Rockaway Wave, April 14, 2018, 6, Old Fulton New York Postcards, Daily traffic counts decreased with the first month of the tube's opening, since the opening ceremony had coincided with the holiday travel season at the end of December 1937. In any case, the Lincoln Tunnel had carried less than 10,000 daily vehicles during the December holiday season, compared to the Holland Tunnel's 40,000 daily vehicles, since the Holland Tunnel contained two 2-lane tubes.NEWS,weblink Travel Peak High as Holidays End, 1938, The New York Times, March 27, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 28, 2018,weblink live, The Port Authority marketed the new tunnel with the slogan "Don't Mark Time, Make Time, Use the Lincoln Tunnel", which was selected from a set of 3,500 Port Authority employees' proposals.NEWS,weblink Tunnel Slogan Selected: ' Don't Mark Time-Make Time'—Says Lincoln Prizewinner, February 24, 1938, The New York Times, March 28, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 28, 2018,weblink live, The Lincoln Tunnel saw 1,790,640 vehicles during its first year of operation, but it was not yet profitable: even after all toll revenues were accounted for, the Port Authority had spent a net $953,857 on operating the tunnel.NEWS,weblink Traffic Increased by Lincoln Tunnel, March 14, 1939, The New York Times, March 28, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 29, 2018,weblink live, By 1940, the tunnel was carrying 4 million vehicles annually,NEWS,weblink Lincoln Tube Work to Go Ahead Today, April 29, 1941, The New York Times, March 29, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 30, 2018,weblink live, and by 1942, that count had increased to 4.5 million.NEWS,weblink North Tube of Lincoln Tunnel Will Open in July to Ease Heavy Strain of Traffic, January 28, 1944, The New York Times, March 29, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 30, 2018,weblink live, A preliminary 1944 estimate put that year's vehicular count at 5.5 million, due to traffic increases during the war.NEWS,weblink New Tube to Open in Lincoln Tunnel, November 6, 1944, The New York Times, March 29, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 30, 2018,weblink live, At the time of the tube's opening, six interstate bus companies filed plans to run a combined 250 buses per day through the tunnel.NEWS,weblink Six Bus Lines Plan Service by Tunnel, December 16, 1937, The New York Times, March 27, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 28, 2018,weblink live, Previously, buses from Weehawken had to drive onto ferries to access Manhattan, but in July 1938, the Interstate Commerce Commission granted the bus companies permission to use the tunnel.NEWS,weblink Tunnel Route for Buses, July 29, 1938, The New York Times, March 28, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 29, 2018,weblink live, Buses paid a toll of $1 per direction.{{Rp|75}} By March 1939, there were 600 buses per day using Lincoln Tunnel, running on twelve routes operated by five companies. That month, three more bus companies were given permission to operate an additional combined total of 600 buses.NEWS,weblink 3 More Bus Lines Get Tube Permits, March 19, 1939, The New York Times, March 28, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 29, 2018,weblink live, After this permission was granted, the New York City government opposed any further authorizations for bus companies, since they would cause congestion in Manhattan streets.NEWS,weblink City Opposes Rise in Bus Travel Here, April 1, 1939, The New York Times, March 28, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 29, 2018,weblink live, In December 1940, it was announced that a new bus terminal would be built on the Manhattan side of the Lincoln Tunnel, between Eighth Avenue, 41st Street, Ninth Avenue, and 42nd Street.NEWS,weblink Huge Bus Terminal to Rise on 42d St. at $4,000,000 Cost, December 8, 1940, The New York Times, March 29, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 29, 2018,weblink live, Manhattan Borough President Stanley M. Isaacs proposed building a short tunnel between the Lincoln Tunnel and the new terminal.NEWS,weblink Isaacs Opens Fight for City Bus Tube, December 17, 1940, The New York Times, March 29, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 29, 2018,weblink live, The city approved the construction of the new terminal and connecting tunnel in January 1941. Plans for a bus terminal were delayed because of World War II, which used the resources intended for most projects that were not directly involved in the war effort.NEWS,weblink City Enters Deal for Bus Terminal, 1941, The New York Times, March 29, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 29, 2018,weblink live,

Construction of second tube

In November 1936, as construction on the first tube was winding down, the Port Authority's commissioners met to discuss the feasibility of adding a second tube, located north of and parallel to the first tube.NEWS,weblink Twin Hudson Tube at 38th St. Pushed, November 24, 1936, The New York Times, March 26, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 27, 2018,weblink live, Although the original design in 1933 had called for two tubes, the PWA funds had only covered the cost of the first tube. It was estimated that if a second tube were to be built immediately, the cost of that tube would be cheaper because the workers and machinery were already on site. The commissioners thus agreed to construct a second tube,NEWS,weblink New Midtown Hudson Tunnel Is Near Completion Under River, December 10, 1936, Rockaway Wave, April 14, 2018, 6, Old Fulton New York Postcards, January 24, 2024,weblink live, which was expected to cost an additional $33 million, bringing the total cost of the project to around $80 million. The next month, the Port Authority sold a $10 million bond issue at a 3% interest rate.NEWS,weblink Port Authority 3's Sold at Premium, December 16, 1936, The New York Times, March 26, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 27, 2018,weblink live, In August 1937, the PWA issued $29.1 million in funds for the second tube, consisting of a $26 million loan and a $3.1 million grant.NEWS,weblink $29,100,000 Marked for Lincoln Tube, August 18, 1937, The New York Times, March 27, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 28, 2018,weblink live, By the time the first tube had opened in December 1937, the cost of construction had risen to $85 million.NEWS,weblink Pageantry to Open the Lincoln Tunnel, December 19, 1937, The New York Times, March 27, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 28, 2018,weblink live, At the time, the second tube was set to be completed in 1940.A contract for the second tube was released in February 1937, at a cost of $8.7 million.NEWS,weblink Contract Let for Tube, February 5, 1937, The New York Times, March 24, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 24, 2018,weblink live, That July, a steel caisson, similar to that for the first tube, was sunk into the Manhattan side at the western end of 39th Street.NEWS,weblink Tunnel Caisson Put in Place, July 22, 1937, The New York Times, March 27, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 28, 2018,weblink live, The next month, three parcels of land in New Jersey were acquired to make way for the second tube.NEWS,weblink Tunnel Realty Bought, August 23, 1937, The New York Times, March 27, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 28, 2018,weblink live, The second-tube project would include the construction of the "express highway" in New Jersey, which would connect to NJ 1 (now part of U.S. 1) and NJ 3 in western North Bergen. At the time of the first tube's opening, the express highway ended at the toll plaza just outside the tunnel portal, leading to Boulevard East and Park Avenue.NEWS,weblink Governors to Open New Tunnel Today, December 21, 1937, The New York Times, March 28, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 28, 2018,weblink live, Bidding for the express highway began in January 1938,NEWS,weblink Tube Road Contract Let for Union City, January 9, 1938, The New York Times, 0362-4331, March 27, 2018, en, January 24, 2024,weblink live, and a contract for the "helix" ramp to the express highway was awarded in April of that year.NEWS,weblink $1,032,339 Contract On Lincoln Tunnel Let, April 5, 1938, The New York Times, March 28, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 28, 2018,weblink live, File:2018-07-08 14 42 02 View east along New Jersey State Route 495 (Lincoln Tunnel Approach) at the exit for New Jersey State Route 3 (Secaucus) in Secaucus, Hudson County, New Jersey.jpg|thumb|left|The express highway to Lincoln Tunnel from the New Jersey Turnpike, which is part of New Jersey Route 495New Jersey Route 495Boring work on the tube itself proceeded quickly, and in May 1938, the two segments of the second tube were holed-through. This was significant because the second tube was only {{Convert|75|ft|m}} away from the first tube, and for the past five months, boring operations had proceeded while traffic was running in the adjacent first tube.NEWS,weblink New Lincoln Tube Ahead of Schedule, May 1, 1938, The New York Times, March 28, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 28, 2018,weblink live, However, work on the second tube was halted the same month because New Jersey had failed to build sufficient approach roads to accommodate the extra traffic load.NEWS,weblink One Lincoln Tube Will Be Delayed, May 18, 1938, The New York Times, March 28, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 28, 2018,weblink live, Economic considerations also played a significant role in the work stoppage, since the New Jersey Highway Commissioner had said that the state lacked enough money to build these new highways.NEWS,weblink Jersey Lacks Road Funds: Sterner Says It Can't Build Feed Routes to New Tunnel, May 21, 1938, The New York Times, March 28, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 28, 2018,weblink live, The ends of the second tube were sealed because it was thought that there would not be enough traffic flows to the first tube to allow for the completion of the second tube.NEWS,weblink Will Seal Up Tube of Lincoln Tunnel, August 31, 1939, Troy Times Record, April 16, 2018, 5, Old Fulton New York Postcards, The six-lane "loop" road, an approach to the future express highway, opened in October 1938 and extended west to Pleasant Avenue, located at the top of the King's Bluff ledge.NEWS,weblink Jersey Set to Open Lincoln Tunnel Drive, October 9, 1938, The New York Times, March 28, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 28, 2018,weblink live, In June 1939, the Port Authority opened the section of the express highway from Pleasant Avenue west to NJ 3. The new highway, a six-lane divided road running in an open cut, was designated as an eastern extension of NJ 3.NEWS,weblink 'Tomorrow's Road' Opened in Jersey, July 1, 1939, The New York Times, March 28, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 29, 2018,weblink live, Work on the second tube resumed in April 1941 as part of the Port Authority's 20th-anniversary ceremony, the "Port Preparedness Dedication." The United States Army had deemed the Lincoln Tunnel to be an important part of wartime defense, and so the Port Authority expedited plans for completing the tube by 1943 at a cost of between $9 million and $12 million. The Manhattan portal of the new tube was to be located one block west of the original tube's portal, and in August 1941, the Port Authority awarded a contract to build a roadway connecting from the original tube's plaza to the new tube's portal. A new street, Galvin Avenue, was created from 42nd to 40th Streets, running between 10th and 11th Avenues and carrying southbound traffic to the westbound tunnel. On the New Jersey side, contracts were awarded for the westward extension of NJ 3 to Little Falls, New Jersey, as well as the construction of a portion of what is now US 46.NEWS,weblink To Aid Users of Tunnel, Mathieu, George M., August 10, 1941, The New York Times, March 29, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 30, 2018,weblink live, Due to wartime material shortages, further construction was delayed for the next two years. Significant progress on the second tube only resumed in late 1943. By January 1944, work on the new tube was being accelerated because the existing tube now had heavy congestion in both directions during rush hours, as opposed to the situation in mid-1942, where congestion generally only accumulated toward New York in the morning and New Jersey in the evening. At this stage, much of the second tube had been completed to the point where traffic could use it in case of an emergency, and the tube was planned to be opened that July. However, work was again delayed, and in November of the same year, the Port Authority announced that the new tube would open the following February.

Operation of two tubes

(File:APPROACH, ENTRANCE AND VENTILATION TOWERS OF THE LINCOLN TUNNEL, NEW JERSEY LOOKING SOUTHWEST - Lincoln Tunnel, Under Hudson River from New Jersey to West Thirty-ninth Street, HAER NY,31-NEYO,173-6.tif|thumb|Congestion on the New Jersey approach)The second tube opened at noon on February 1, 1945. The new tube was located to the north of the existing tube. The northern tube was configured to carry westbound traffic to New Jersey, while the southern tube was converted from a two-way tunnel to an eastbound-only tunnel to New York. The construction of the two tunnels had cost a combined $80 million.NEWS,weblink Tunnel Opens On Schedule, February 1, 1945, The New York Sun, April 14, 2018, 13, Old Fulton New York Postcards, NEWS,weblink New Lincoln Tube Will Open Today, February 1, 1945, The New York Times, March 29, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 30, 2018,weblink live, Unlike for the first tube, there was no official ceremony, although three Port Authority officials drove through the second tube.NEWS, February 2, 1945, Proxy 'First' Made at Lincoln Tunnel, en-US, The New York Times,weblink March 29, 2018, 0362-4331, March 30, 2018,weblink live, NEWS, Hodge, Carle, August 25, 1946, Catan Hangs Up Record of 300 'Firsts' as Hobby, 7, Syracuse Post-Standard,weblink April 14, 2018, Old Fulton New York Postcards, January 24, 2024,weblink live, The first motorist to drive through the second tube was Michael Katen, the brother of Omero C. Catan, the first motorist to drive through the original tube in 1937.After World War II ended in 1945, plans for a new bus terminal on the Lincoln Tunnel's Manhattan side were revisited. The new bus terminal, which was to be built on the block bounded by 40th and 41st Streets and 8th and 9th Avenues, was approved in January 1947.NEWS,weblink New Bus Terminal Is Approved Here, Conklin, William R., January 31, 1947, The New York Times, March 29, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 29, 2018,weblink live, The plan was later modified to include a 500-space parking lot on its roof, which would be accessible via a series of ramps from both local streets and the Lincoln Tunnel.WEB, Ingraham, Joseph C., Roof Parking for 500 Cars Added to Bus Terminal Plan, The New York Times, 0362-4331, March 22, 1948,weblink March 30, 2018, March 30, 2018,weblink live, The terminal opened in 1950 as the Port Authority Bus Terminal.NEWS, New Bus Terminal Has Smooth Start, The New York Times, 0362-4331, December 16, 1950,weblink March 30, 2018, March 30, 2018,weblink live,

Third tube

Planning and controversy

In 1949, due to increased traffic demand, New Jersey Governor Alfred E. Driscoll suggested building a third crossing under the Hudson River. He met with the Port Authority's board of commissioners and told them that the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels had now reached their full capacity of 15 million annual vehicles apiece (though the Port Authority noted that the Lincoln Tunnel had only seen 11.1 million vehicles in the past year).NEWS,weblink Driscoll Suggests a 3d Hudson Tunnel, August 10, 1949, The New York Times, April 4, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 5, 2018,weblink live, The same year, the Port Authority conducted a study of 135,000 motorists who used Hudson River crossings. It found that much of the traffic on the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels could be lessened if another tunnel between New Jersey and Midtown Manhattan were built either north or south of the Lincoln Tunnel.NEWS,weblink Planning New Facilities for Crossing the Hudson, Schwab, Armand Jr., October 1, 1950, The New York Times, April 4, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 5, 2018,weblink live, In May 1950, the Port Authority's commissioners authorized an engineering study for an additional tube to the Lincoln Tunnel. If built, the third tube would be located to the south of the two existing tubes, and it would contain two additional lanes at a cost of $60 million.NEWS,weblink 3D Tube Proposed in Lincoln Tunnel, Ingraham, Joseph C., May 13, 1950, The New York Times, April 4, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 5, 2018,weblink live, The Port Authority also began a study on whether local streets near the Lincoln Tunnel's existing approaches could accommodate traffic from a third tube.NEWS,weblink Study Under Way on Tunnel Traffic, August 15, 1950, The New York Times, 0362-4331, April 4, 2018, en, April 5, 2018,weblink live, In February 1951, Port Authority chairman Austin J. Tobin announced that traffic across the Hudson River had increased to a point where the construction of a third tube would soon be necessary.NEWS,weblink Trans-Hudson Jam in Traffic Looms, February 15, 1951, The New York Times, April 4, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 5, 2018,weblink live, The next month, the Port Authority commissioners gave their approval to preliminary plans for the third tube, which was expected to cost $85 million and be completed by 1957 "barring total war". The project would also involve extending the Dyer Avenue approach, on the Manhattan side, southward from 34th Street to 30th Street.NEWS,weblink Third Lincoln Tube Voted by Port Unit, Ingraham, Joseph C., March 9, 1951, The New York Times, April 4, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 5, 2018,weblink live, The Port Authority gave its approval to the construction process itself in May 1951, although the approval of New York City, New York State, and New Jersey officials was still needed.NEWS,weblink Third Lincoln Tube Voted by Authority, May 11, 1951, The New York Times, April 5, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 5, 2018,weblink live, The New York City Planning Commission rejected the initial plans for the third tube project in August 1951 because it felt that the existing tunnel approaches could not sufficiently manage all of the traffic from a third tube,NEWS,weblink Lincoln Tube Plan Due for Rejection, August 8, 1951, The New York Times, April 5, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 5, 2018,weblink live, but it scheduled a meeting for September, during which the Port Authority could argue in favor of its proposal.NEWS,weblink The Tunnel Controversy, August 10, 1951, The New York Times, April 5, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 5, 2018,weblink live, The city's construction coordinator, Robert Moses, also opposed the third tube, and Tobin pointed out that the only major opposition the Port Authority had received was from Moses.NEWS,weblink Wide Backing Seen for New Tube Plan, August 14, 1951, The New York Times, April 5, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 5, 2018,weblink live, NEWS,weblink Associated Press, Tunnel Delay Laid to Moses, August 25, 1951, Tarrytown Daily News, April 16, 2018, 8, Old Fulton New York Postcards, January 24, 2024,weblink live, Manhattan Borough President Robert F. Wagner Jr. was among the New York City officials who supported the plans.NEWS,weblink Lincoln Tube Plan Backed by Wagner, October 6, 1951, The New York Times, 0362-4331, April 4, 2018, en, April 5, 2018,weblink live, In September, after the Port Authority and the City Planning Commission convened to discuss the plans, the Planning Commission rejected the third-tube plans for a second time, calling them "fundamentally deficient".NEWS,weblink 3d Lincoln Tube Opposed By City's Planning Board, Bennett, Charles G., September 13, 1951, The New York Times, April 5, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 5, 2018,weblink live, Despite this disagreement, the Port Authority released contracts for test bores the same month.NEWS,weblink Authority Defies Board's Tube Veto, September 14, 1951, The New York Times, April 5, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 5, 2018,weblink live, The dispute continued through the end of the year, and by December, the Port Authority had to cancel a $10 million contract for cast-iron tunnel segments because the city had refused to approve the tunnel plans.NEWS,weblink Tube Bids Dropped by Port Authority in Clash with City, December 13, 1951, The New York Times, April 5, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 5, 2018,weblink live, The city wanted the Port Authority to build part of a proposed Mid-Manhattan Expressway above 30th Street from Eighth Avenue to the West Side Elevated Highway near 12th Avenue. This recommendation was very similar to one that had been made five years prior. However, the City Planning Commission immediately rejected this proposed solution.NEWS,weblink 'Solution' Futile in Tunnel Dispute, Ingraham, Joseph C., December 14, 1951, The New York Times, April 5, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 5, 2018,weblink live, NEWS,weblink City Tube Plan Turned Down, December 14, 1951, Long Island Star-Journal, April 16, 2018, 15, Old Fulton New York Postcards, January 24, 2024,weblink live, By January, as the Lincoln Tunnel dispute became protracted, the Port Authority was willing to build a separate tunnel altogether at a cost of $200 million.NEWS,weblink Cullman Outlines 3d Hudson Tunnel, 1952, The New York Times, April 5, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 5, 2018,weblink live, The New York City Board of Estimate pushed back a proposed vote on the Lincoln Tunnel from March to May 1952.NEWS,weblink Action Is Delayed on 3d Tunnel Tube, March 7, 1952, The New York Times, April 5, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 5, 2018,weblink live, By June, a compromise had been worked out, and the city had given its assent to the new tube.NEWS,weblink A $90,000,000 Tunnel, June 4, 1952, The New York Times, April 5, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 5, 2018,weblink live, Although the Port Authority was no longer obligated to construct a mid-Manhattan expressway, it did agree to widen 30th Street between 10th Avenue and 12th Avenue, and to provide ramps between the tunnel and the West Side Highway.NEWS,weblink City And Port Body Make Compromise on 3d Lincoln Tube, Ingraham, Joseph C., June 4, 1952, The New York Times, April 5, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 5, 2018,weblink live, The New York City government quickly moved to approve street upgrades on their side of the tunnel.NEWS,weblink Third Lincoln Tube Expedited by City, June 19, 1952, The New York Times, April 5, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 6, 2018,weblink live, By this point, the Weehawken, New Jersey, government had also started to raise concerns about street improvements on their side.NEWS,weblink Weehawken Unhappy Over 3d Lincoln Tube, June 5, 1952, The New York Times, April 5, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 6, 2018,weblink live, However, there were no other major obstacles to starting construction. The first contract for the third tube's construction, a bid for digging the ventilation shafts, was awarded in August 1952.NEWS,weblink First Award Made on 3d Lincoln Tube, August 28, 1952, The New York Times, April 6, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 6, 2018,weblink live, NEWS,weblink International News Service, New Lincoln Tunnel Road Work to Start, August 16, 1952, Nyack Journal-News, April 16, 2018, 8, Old Fulton New York Postcards, January 24, 2024,weblink live, A groundbreaking ceremony for the third tube, marking the start of official construction on that tube, was held the next month at the Manhattan side's future ventilation shaft. Sandhogs began digging the tunnel from that end.NEWS,weblink Third Lincoln Tunnel Is Started, Ingraham, Joseph C., September 26, 1952, The New York Times, April 6, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 6, 2018,weblink live,

Construction

The Port Authority awarded its first material contract for the third tube, a $10 million order of steel tunnel segments from Bethlehem Steel, in October 1952.NEWS,weblink Contract Awarded for 3d Tunnel Tube, October 10, 1952, The New York Times, April 6, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 6, 2018,weblink live, It also evicted 900 families from 70 buildings to make way for the new tube's approaches.NEWS,weblink 900 Families Face Ouster by Tunnel, October 14, 1952, The New York Times, April 6, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 6, 2018,weblink live, The next month, the agency ordered 1.2 million bolts and washers to secure the tunnel segments.NEWS,weblink 1,192,000 Bolts and Such Ordered for Lincoln Tube, November 14, 1952, The New York Times, April 6, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 6, 2018,weblink live, The Port Authority planned to finance the third tube's construction with a consolidated bond offering of $500 million, which would be dispersed among other Port Authority projects as well.NEWS,weblink New Bond Planned by Port Authority, October 10, 1952, The New York Times, April 6, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 6, 2018,weblink live, An initial bond offering of $35 million was made in December 1952,NEWS,weblink Offering Readied by Port Authority, December 11, 1952, The New York Times, April 6, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 6, 2018,weblink live, and the Port Authority later borrowed $20 million to finance this offering.NEWS,weblink Port Agency Issue Stirs Keen Bidding, October 28, 1953, The New York Times, April 6, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 7, 2018,weblink live, A contract to dig the actual bore under the river was awarded in October 1953.NEWS,weblink 3 Contractors Get Lincoln Tube Task, October 19, 1953, The New York Times, April 6, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 6, 2018,weblink live, (File:Lincolntunnel-1955.jpg|thumb|View of New Jersey entrance in 1955, with the south tube under construction)Weehawken's government still held a negative attitude toward the Lincoln Tunnel digging work, and in June 1953, ordered policemen to arrest workers who were bringing equipment into the tunnel, under the pretense that the tunnel lacked a building permit.NEWS,weblink Weehawken Balks 3d Lincoln Tunnel, June 2, 1953, The New York Times, April 6, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 6, 2018,weblink live, In response, the Port Authority obtained a writ from a Hudson County, New Jersey, judge, who allowed tube work to proceed and forced the Weehawken government to explain its legal reasoning for blocking the tube's construction.NEWS,weblink Court Order Opens Jersey Tube Work, June 3, 1953, The New York Times, April 6, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 6, 2018,weblink live, A committee of New Jersey politicians was convened to determine how much the Port Authority should pay the town of Weehawken for land acquisition.NEWS,weblink Inquiry Underway on 3d Lincoln Tube, June 14, 1953, The New York Times, April 6, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 6, 2018,weblink live, Representatives and residents of Weehawken wanted more compensation than what the Port Authority was willing to offer.NEWS,weblink Weehawken Defends Its Tunnel Demands, June 27, 1953, The New York Times, April 6, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 6, 2018,weblink live, On March 16, 1954, the Supreme Court of New Jersey ordered that work on the third tube be halted because it was tantamount to a brand-new crossing, rather than an addition to an existing crossing.NEWS,weblink Jersey Court Ruling Halts Work on New Lincoln Tube, Ingraham, Joseph C., March 16, 1954, The New York Times, April 7, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 7, 2018,weblink live, NEWS,weblink Associated Press, Court Order Halts Work On Lincoln Tunnel Tube, March 16, 1954, Buffalo Evening News, April 16, 2018, 37, Old Fulton New York Postcards, January 24, 2024,weblink live, However, the New Jersey legislature voted to allow the resumption of work on the tunnel,NEWS,weblink Jersey Approves 3d Lincoln Tube, March 23, 1954, The New York Times, April 7, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 7, 2018,weblink live, while the New York state legislature finally gave formal authorization for the Port Authority to build the tube.NEWS,weblink Legislature Votes Third Lincoln Tube, March 20, 1954, The New York Times, April 7, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 7, 2018,weblink live, Eight days after the New Jersey Supreme Court's stop-work order, construction resumed on the tube. The township of Weehawken agreed to tax the tunnel at a lower price than what it was originally asking.NEWS,weblink Tube Job Starts Again, March 25, 1954, The New York Times, April 7, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 7, 2018,weblink live, A contract for a ventilation building on the New York side, above 38th Street east of 12th Avenue, was let in June 1954.NEWS,weblink Ventilator Contract for 3d Lincoln Tube Let, June 17, 1954, The New York Times, April 8, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 9, 2018,weblink live, That September, the Port Authority opened the contract for the renovation of the New Jersey side's tunnel plaza, which would have to be rebuilt in order to accommodate the new tunnel portal, since the existing administration buildings were located in the path of the third tube's approach.NEWS,weblink Contract Awarded for Tunnel Plaza, September 12, 1954, The New York Times, April 8, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, June 14, 2018,weblink live, The same month, the Port Authority published plans for an 800-space parking complex on the New Jersey side.NEWS,weblink Port Body Plans Parking in Jersey, September 15, 1954, The New York Times, April 8, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 9, 2018,weblink live, This parking lot opened in November 1955, fourteen months later.NEWS,weblink Tube Parking Lot Opened in Jersey, November 2, 1955, The New York Times, April 8, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 9, 2018,weblink live, Meanwhile, sandhogs began digging the tunnel from a {{convert|55|ft|m|adj=mid|-deep}} pit on the New Jersey side, with plans to connect that bore with the tunnel being dug from the New York side at a point {{convert|95|ft|m}} under the Hudson River.NEWS,weblink New Lincoln Tube Is Now City-Bound, Haff, Joseph O., September 3, 1954, The New York Times, April 8, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 9, 2018,weblink live, The pieces for a pressurized digging shield were hoisted into the New Jersey construction pit in late September 1954,NEWS,weblink 240-Ton Shield Begun for Third Hudson Tunnel, Associated Press, September 30, 1954, Jamestown Post-Journal, April 14, 2018, 4, Old Fulton New York Postcards, January 24, 2024,weblink live, NEWS,weblink Tunnel's Shield Being Assembled, September 30, 1954, The New York Times, April 8, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 9, 2018,weblink live, and the completed shield began digging toward New York a month and a half later.NEWS,weblink New Lincoln Tube Goes Under River, November 10, 1954, The New York Times, April 8, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 9, 2018,weblink live, In February 1955, the Port Authority awarded contracts for widening the New Jersey side's loop approach from six to seven lanes, as well as a second contract for widening the North Bergen, New Jersey, "express highway" from six to eight lanes, and a third for a new toll plaza at the bottom of the loop approach.NEWS,weblink Lincoln Tube to Get 7th Lane in Jersey, February 18, 1955, The New York Times, April 8, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 9, 2018,weblink live, By this time, it was projected that a new Hudson River crossing might need to be built north of the Lincoln Tunnel by the 1960s.NEWS,weblink Roadway System Held Vital to U.S., Pierce, Bert, March 5, 1955, The New York Times, April 8, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 9, 2018,weblink live, The boring operation from the New Jersey side had crossed eastward into the state border by October 1955.NEWS,weblink 3d Lincoln Tube at Halfway Point, Haff, Joseph O., October 6, 1955, The New York Times, April 8, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 9, 2018,weblink live, Work on the tube was temporarily stopped in January 1956 after water from the Hudson River leaked into the New York side of the tunnel.NEWS,weblink Third Lincoln Tube Pumped Almost Dry, January 28, 1956, The New York Times, April 8, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 9, 2018,weblink live, Almost immediately after the tube had been pumped dry, workers went on strike for a week, even though the ends of the bores were only about {{Convert|350|ft|m}} away from being connected.NEWS,weblink Tube Rift Settled: Diggers to Return, February 10, 1956, The New York Times, April 8, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 9, 2018,weblink live, Construction was further disrupted by an air leakage on the New York side in May,NEWS,weblink Sandhogs Plug Air Leak, May 10, 1956, The New York Times, April 8, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 9, 2018,weblink live, and a contractors' strike in June.NEWS,weblink Tunnel Work Resumes, June 7, 1956, The New York Times, April 8, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 9, 2018,weblink live, On June 28, 1956, the two sides were finally holed-through by the respective governors of each state. At this time, the last of the tube's 2,031 cast-iron rings had been laid.NEWS,weblink Third Lincoln Tube Is 'Holed Through' by Two Governors, Ingraham, Joseph C., June 29, 1956, The New York Times, April 8, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 9, 2018,weblink live, NEWS,weblink Lincoln Tunnel's New Third Tube Nears Finish, Associated Press, June 28, 1956, Schenectady Gazette, April 14, 2018, 3, Old Fulton New York Postcards, January 24, 2024,weblink live, Contractors then began placing tiles along the surface of the tube.NEWS,weblink 3d Lincoln Tube Gets Tile Lining, James, Michael, August 8, 1956, The New York Times, April 8, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 9, 2018,weblink live, By November, the tube was nearly completed.NEWS,weblink Completion of Third Lincoln Tube in the Homestretch, November 7, 1956, The New York Times, April 8, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 9, 2018,weblink live, To accommodate the traffic for the new tube, the Port Authority opened the Lincoln Tunnel Expressway south to 30th Street in February 1957.NEWS,weblink Tube Express Way Opens to Traffic, February 20, 1957, The New York Times, April 8, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 9, 2018,weblink live, The third tube opened on May 25, 1957, to the south of the original two tunnels.NEWS, 3d Lincoln Tube Is Opened, Joseph C., Ingraham,weblink The New York Times, 0362-4331, May 26, 1957, 1, February 27, 2010, July 22, 2018,weblink live, It cost $94 million, 6% less than projected;NEWS,weblink 3d Lincoln Tube Built at Cost of $94,129,000, May 20, 1957, The New York Times, April 9, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 9, 2018,weblink live, the tube itself had only cost $44 million, but the approaches cost $23 million and other costs made up the remaining $27 million. The third tube's opening made the Lincoln Tunnel the world's first tunnel with three separate, parallel tubes. Unlike with the previous two tubes, which had killed a total of 15 workers, no one had been killed during the construction of the third tube.NEWS,weblink 3d Lincoln Tube Opens Saturday, Ingraham, Joseph C., May 20, 1957, The New York Times, April 9, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 9, 2018,weblink live, At this time, the center tube was converted back to a bidirectional tube, while the new third tube became eastbound-only. The center tube could be used for unidirectional traffic during peak hours, doubling capacity in the peak direction. A traffic light system was instituted for the center tube to indicate whether a given direction could use one or both lanes. A new 18-booth toll plaza was inaugurated on the left side, collecting tolls on the left-hand (driver's) side of each lane; this replaced the previous right-handed 12-booth plaza, which collected tolls from the passenger side, and was thus expected to speed traffic. The agency also inaugurated two extra ventilation buildings, which would filter air from the new tube. Due to increased traffic loads, the New York City government released plans to widen nearby streets later that year.WEB, 10th Avenue Emerging, The New York Times, 0362-4331, July 18, 1957,weblink April 9, 2018, April 9, 2018,weblink live,

Later years

(File:MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, SHOWING ENTRANCE TO THE LINCOLN TUNNEL UNDER THE HUDSON RIVER - NARA - 548359.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of the Manhattan approaches in 1973)As traffic increased through the tubes, the Port Authority tried various methods to mitigate tunnel congestion. In February 1957, it started training "spotters" to look at traffic on the Manhattan side's tunnel approaches from the 35th floor of 330 West 42nd Street, located nearby.NEWS,weblink Bird's-Eye View of Tunnel Approaches Helps Policemen Expedite Traffic Flow, Hausner, Edward, February 26, 1957, The New York Times, April 9, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 9, 2018,weblink live, The Port Authority started using two-way radios in mid-1958.WEB, Police Use Radios to Speed Lincoln Tunnel Traffic, The New York Times, 0362-4331, August 30, 1958,weblink April 9, 2018, April 9, 2018,weblink live, In 1966–1967, the Port Authority installed closed-circuit television systems to monitor and control the spacing of traffic in the Lincoln and Holland Tunnels.WEB, King, Seth S., Computers to Aid Tunnel Traffic, The New York Times, 0362-4331, December 15, 1967,weblink April 9, 2018, April 9, 2018,weblink live, NEWS,weblink Seeing Eye for Traffic, February 27, 1966, Buffalo Courier Express, April 16, 2018, 10, Old Fulton New York Postcards, January 24, 2024,weblink live, Port Authority officers observed Lincoln Tunnel traffic from a control center on the New Jersey side. Patrolmen were stationed within each tube to watch out for stalled vehicles, and a computerized system also monitored traffic flows in each tube.WEB,weblink Rush Hour at the Lincoln Tunnel a Challenge to Traffic Controllers, May 29, 1973, The New York Times, 0362-4331, April 9, 2018, April 10, 2018,weblink live, In December 1970, the Port Authority tested out an exclusive bus lane for one year, and it became so popular that the bus lane was later made permanent.WEB, Prial, Frank J., Special Bus Lane to Tunnel to Be Kept, The New York Times, 0362-4331, December 17, 1971,weblink April 9, 2018, April 9, 2018,weblink live, In 1971, the elephants of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus walked through the Lincoln Tunnel. The animals were normally taken via railroad, but a labor strike had suspended all rail service to Madison Square Garden.NEWS,weblink 19 Elephants Are Herded Through Lincoln Tunnel, May 18, 1971, Gloversville Leader Herald, April 16, 2018, 1, Old Fulton New York Postcards, January 24, 2024,weblink live, WEB, Circus Caravan Through Lincoln Tunnel Causes Elephantine Traffic Jam, The New York Times, 0362-4331, May 18, 1971,weblink May 3, 2018, May 3, 2018,weblink live, The elephants started walking through the Queens–Midtown Tunnel instead of the Lincoln Tunnel starting in 1981,NEWS,weblink Circus Predawn March, March 28, 1981, N.Y. Amsterdam News, April 21, 2018, 68, Old Fulton New York Postcards, January 24, 2024,weblink live, and the elephant walk ceased altogether when the elephants were retired in 2016.WEB, Ringling Bros. And Barnum & Bailey To End Elephant Acts This May, CBS New York, New York, WCBS-TV, January 11, 2016,weblink April 18, 2018, April 19, 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180419053207weblink">weblink live, WEB, Ringling Bros. Elephants Are Taking Early Retirement to Florida, The New York Times, 0362-4331, January 12, 2016,weblink April 21, 2018, April 19, 2018,weblink live, Originally, the northern and center tubes were paved using bricks, while the southern tube contained an asphalt surface. The brick road surfaces began to deteriorate over time, and in 1967–1968, the northern and center tubes were repaved with asphalt. By 1971, Lincoln Tunnel was carrying 32 million vehicles per year.NEWS,weblink Rough Tunnel Trip Is Getting Smoother, Bailinson, Frank, September 10, 1972, The New York Times, April 9, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 10, 2018,weblink live, From the Lincoln Tunnel's opening until 1970, the Port Authority charged the same flat-rate toll of 50 cents in each direction. Westbound tolls were removed in 1970, and the tolls for eastbound drivers were doubled to offset the loss of the westbound tolls.The Port Authority started repaving the Lincoln Tunnel's center tube in the early 1980s, in preparation for a renovation of the Holland Tunnel that was slated to start in 1984. Due to the renovation project, the Holland Tunnel's tubes would be closed one at a time for two and a half years, and traffic would be diverted to the Lincoln Tunnel. After the Holland Tunnel renovation was done, the Lincoln Tunnel's north and south tubes would be repaved. Each repaving was set to cost $10 million.WEB, Years of Delays Seen for Motorists at Lincoln and Holland Tunnels, The New York Times, 0362-4331, October 24, 1983,weblink April 12, 2018, April 13, 2018,weblink live, The repair work on the Lincoln Tunnel's center tube cost $2 million more than projected, and took five times as long as initially estimated, because repaving only occurred at night.WEB, Daley, Suzanne, Price of Road Repairs: Swelling Traffic Jams, The New York Times, 0362-4331, March 19, 1984,weblink April 12, 2018, April 13, 2018,weblink live, In 1989, during the rehabilitation and repaving of the northern tube, a computerized traffic-control center was built in the administration building on the New Jersey side, which allowed a tunnel controller inside the building to remotely control the flow of traffic to, from, and through Lincoln Tunnel. The computerized system was connected to 73 cameras that captured video of the entirety of the three tubes.WEB, Romano, Jay, Lincoln Tunnel Repaving Poses Test for 'Fragile' Traffic System, The New York Times, 0362-4331, February 4, 1990,weblink April 12, 2018, April 13, 2018,weblink live, Cellphone service was added to the tubes in 1995 as part of a $1.2 million project funded by the telecommunications company Cellular One.WEB, Lincoln Tunnel Going Cellular, The New York Times, 0362-4331, October 24, 1994,weblink April 14, 2018, September 19, 2018,weblink live, A major overhaul of the center tube started in 1996 at a cost of $53 million. This construction included replacing tiles, wire ducts, curbs, doors, and other infrastructure.WEB, Pristin, Terry, Repairs Start on Tunnel Tube, The New York Times, 0362-4331, March 26, 1996,weblink April 14, 2018, April 14, 2018,weblink live, The same year, the Port Authority board also voted to renovate the toll plaza for $42 million.WEB, Pristin, Terry, Facelift for Tunnel Plaza, The New York Times, 0362-4331, July 12, 1996,weblink April 14, 2018, April 14, 2018,weblink live, After the September 11 attacks in 2001, drivers with no passengers were temporarily banned from going through the Lincoln Tunnel during weekday mornings, due to traffic gridlock that resulted from the collapse of the World Trade Center.WEB, Feuer, Alan, More Crowded Cars Bring Less Crowded Crossings, The New York Times, 0362-4331, September 28, 2001,weblink April 15, 2018, April 16, 2018,weblink live, This ban was partially repealed in April 2002.WEB, Kennedy, Randy, Lone Drivers? Some Can Come Into Manhattan, The New York Times, 0362-4331, April 19, 2002,weblink April 15, 2018, April 16, 2018,weblink live,

Crime and terrorism

On September 8, 1953, two armed men attempted to rob a home in South Orange, New Jersey, when they were chased off by residents, one of whom reported their car's license plate number. A patrolman at the Lincoln Tunnel's tollbooth tried to stop the car, but the robbers shot at police, hitting a Port Authority policeman in the leg. The police commandeered a delivery truck and gave chase, exchanging 28 shots with the fleeing car while weaving in and out of traffic. The vehicle came to a stop about three-quarters of the way through the tunnel, after one of the robbers had been shot in the head.NEWS, Two Seized in 28-Shot Battle With Police in Lincoln Tube,weblink The New York Times, 0362-4331, September 9, 1953, 1, February 27, 2010, July 22, 2018,weblink live, The delivery truck driver was later honored for his role in chasing the attempted robbers,NEWS,weblink Port Body Honors Tube Chase Hero, September 12, 1953, The New York Times, April 6, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 6, 2018,weblink live, and the patrolmen involved were also honored.NEWS,weblink Port Patrolmen Honored, October 31, 1953, The New York Times, April 6, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 7, 2018,weblink live, The Lincoln Tunnel was used several times more by criminal suspects trying to escape the police. In 1956, a motorist, whose car had been taken by police, stole his own car in Manhattan, then sped through the Lincoln Tunnel and opened fire on pursuing police before being stopped on the George Washington Bridge.WEB, Deranged Driver Flees at 95 M.P.H., The New York Times, 0362-4331, May 31, 1956,weblink April 9, 2018, April 9, 2018,weblink live, In 1967, two bank robbery suspects were traveling through the tunnel when they were enclosed on either end by police.NEWS, Bank Robbery Suspects Are Trapped in Tunnel, The New York Times, 0362-4331, April 27, 1967,weblink April 9, 2018, April 9, 2018,weblink live, Due to its status as one of the few connections between Manhattan and New Jersey, the Lincoln Tunnel is considered to be one of the most high-risk terrorist target sites in the United States.{{rp|118}} Other such sites in New Jersey include the Holland Tunnel and the PATH station at Exchange Place, both of which are in Jersey City, as well as the Port of Newark in Elizabeth.NEWS, Two Most Dangerous Miles in U.S., Gennarose, Pope,weblink The Union City Reporter, February 5, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120219204112weblink">weblink February 19, 2012, dead, In 1995, ten men were convicted of a bombing plot in which a radical Islamic group plotted to blow up five or six sites in New York City, including the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels and the George Washington Bridge.NEWS, Fried, Joseph P., Sheik and 9 Followers Guilty of a Conspiracy of Terrorism, The New York Times, 0362-4331, October 2, 1995,weblink April 12, 2018, April 4, 2018,weblink live,

Route numbering

factoids

|deleted=1958}}(File:NY 9A north exit 5.jpg|thumb|Old "I-495 Lincoln Tunnel" sign, still in situ along the West Side Highway)Originally, the Lincoln Tunnel would have connected to the Queens-Midtown Tunnel, on the other side of Manhattan, via the Mid-Manhattan Expressway. Manhattan Borough President Samuel Levy first proposed the Mid-Manhattan Expressway connector in 1936.NEWS,weblink Crosstown Tunnel Demanded by Levy, September 24, 1936, The New York Times, March 26, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 27, 2018,weblink live, Updated plans for the crosstown highway were released in 1944 and featured a connection to the then-proposed Port Authority Bus Terminal.NEWS,weblink Crosstown Tubes for Autos Planned, October 28, 1944, The New York Times, March 29, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 30, 2018,weblink live, The plans were eventually changed to a crosstown tunnel across 30th Street, and the city approved a preliminary survey for the crosstown tunnel.NEWS,weblink Planners Approve Survey for Tunnel, June 15, 1950, The New York Times, April 4, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, April 5, 2018,weblink live, The city briefly held up plans for the Lincoln Tunnel's southernmost tube in 1951 and 1952 because it wanted the Port Authority to build part of the expressway, although this requirement was later dropped. The Interstate 495 (I-495) designation was assigned to the New Jersey approach to the tunnel in anticipation of the Mid-Manhattan Expressway being completed.MAP, Metropolitan New York City Area, Tourgide {{sic, y, This is a brand called "Tourgide", map |author1 = Gulf Oil Corporation |author2 = Rand McNally and Company |year = 1965 |scale = 1:364,152 |location = Pittsburgh, PA |publisher = Gulf Oil Corporation |inset=Metropolitan New York City area, including Westchester County, N.Y., and northeastern New Jersey|oclc=246639605}}The Mid-Manhattan Expressway project was ultimately canceled and the I-495 designation removed from the expressway on January 1, 1970.BOOK,weblink Official Description of Touring Routes in New York State, State of New York Department of Transportation, January 1, 1970, June 25, 2010, March 26, 2009,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090326062441weblink">weblink live, However, the I-495 designation in New Jersey remained for some time, as it was anticipated that it would remain part of the Interstate Highway System. Much of the New Jersey stretch of I-495 became Route 495 in 1979.WEB,weblink Route 495 Straight Line Diagram, 2006, New Jersey Department of Transportation,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20060321122259weblink">weblink March 21, 2006, September 13, 2014, The Westway project, proposed in 1971,NEWS,weblink City Proposes a New West Side Highway, Prial, Frank J., April 4, 1971, The New York Times, March 19, 2018, en-US, 0362-4331, March 20, 2018,weblink live, called for building an I-478 to link I-278 in Brooklyn, I-78 at the Holland Tunnel, and I-495 at the Lincoln Tunnel.WEB,weblink The Westway Project: Its History and Future, August 1, 1981, The New York Times, 0362-4331, April 12, 2018, April 12, 2018,weblink live, The Westway project was officially abandoned in 1985 after a series of lawsuits from environmental advocates.NEWS,weblink The Legacy of Westway: Lessons from Its Demise, Roberts, Sam, October 7, 1985, The New York Times, 0362-4331, March 22, 2018, en, June 19, 2018,weblink live, WEB,weblink Why Westway sleeps with the fishes, Amateau, Albert, June 16, 2004, The Villager (Manhattan), The Villager, Manhattan, June 2, 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160304122348weblink">weblink March 4, 2016, dead, The last part of I-495 in New Jersey was decommissioned the next year, and the Lincoln Tunnel was thus removed from the Interstate system.{{AASHTO minutes |year = 1986S |page = 561 |link = yes |quote = |access-date = October 16, 2014 }} In Manhattan, 34th Street and other crosstown streets link the tunnel with I-495.{{As of|2018}}, the part of the tunnel within New Jersey carries Route 495.WEB,weblink Route 495 Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, New Jersey Department of Transportation, Trenton, April 9, 2018, March 21, 2006,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20060321122259weblink">weblink live, It is disputed whether the part of the tunnel within New York contains the unsigned New York State Route 495 (NY 495). A 2016 highway inventory listing from the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) considers NY 495 to be {{Convert|1.09|mi|km}} long, running through the tunnel, from the New Jersey State Line east to the intersection of Dyer Avenue and 34th Street.WEB,weblink New York County Inventory Listing, August 7, 2015, New York State Department of Transportation, CSV, September 5, 2017, July 1, 2019,weblink live, However, the NYSDOT also published two "official descriptions of highway touring routes" in 2004 and 2017, in which it did not consider the Lincoln Tunnel within New York to be part of NY 495. According to these documents, the NY 495 designation instead applies to part of the Long Island Expressway (I-495) in Queens, and the Lincoln Tunnel does not have an official route designation.BOOK,weblink Official Description of Highway Touring Routes, Bicycling Touring Routes, Scenic Byways, & Commemorative/Memorial Designations in New York State, New York State Department of Transportation, January 2017, 46, January 15, 2017, January 10, 2017,weblink live,

Tolls

(File:Lincoln Tunnel vent tower jeh.JPG|thumb|Manhattan ventilation tower){{As of|2024|01|07|df=us}}, the tolls-by-mail rate going from New Jersey to New York City are $17.63 for cars and motorcycles; there is no toll for passenger vehicles going from New York City to New Jersey. New Jersey and New York–issued E-ZPass users are charged $13.38 for cars and $12.38 for motorcycles during off-peak hours, and $15.38 for cars and $14.38 for motorcycles during peak hours. Users with E-ZPass issued from agencies outside of New Jersey and New York are charged the tolls-by-mail rate.WEB,weblink Tolls, Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, February 2, 2020, March 1, 2019,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20190301013115weblink">weblink live, Tolls are collected when drivers pass under toll gantries on the Manhattan side. Originally, tolls were collected in both directions. In August 1970, the Lincoln Tunnel's 50-cent toll, which the Port Authority had charged since the tunnel's 1937 opening, was abolished for westbound drivers. At the same time, eastbound drivers saw their tolls doubled to $1.00. The tolls of eleven other New York–New Jersey and Hudson River crossings along a {{convert|130|mi|km|adj=on}} stretch, from the Outerbridge Crossing in the south to the Rip Van Winkle Bridge in the north, were also changed to south- or eastbound-only at that time.WEB, Moran, Nancy, One‐Way Tolls Confusing Some Drivers, The New York Times, 0362-4331, August 13, 1970,weblink April 9, 2018, June 27, 2020,weblink live, The westbound tollbooths were later removed. By 1981, there were 14 eastbound toll lanes,WEB,weblink Lincoln Tunnel Adds an Extra Toll Lane, March 23, 1981, The New York Times, 0362-4331, April 12, 2018, April 12, 2018,weblink live, in comparison to the 18 lanes in both directions that the plaza had contained in 1955. {{As of|2018}}, there are 13 lanes at the tollbooth.Electronic tolling was first implemented at Lincoln Tunnel circa 1988, when buses were allowed to pay tolls electronically.WEB, Rifkin, Glenn, Electronic Toll-Taking Is Being Put to the Test, The New York Times, 0362-4331, September 9, 1992,weblink April 12, 2018, April 13, 2018,weblink live, In 1996, the Port Authority voted to renovate the toll plaza; the proposed improvements included converting it to accommodate electronic tolling for all vehicles that used E-ZPass. E-ZPass toll collection at Lincoln Tunnel started in October 1997, although the tollbooths were retained.WEB, Tunnels Get E-Z Pass: Drivers Get Hang of It, The New York Times, 0362-4331, October 29, 1997,weblink April 15, 2018, April 15, 2018,weblink live, Open road tolling began on December 11, 2022.WEB, December 12, 2022, Miss the Memo? EZ Pass NY Toll Help Searches Spike After Lincoln Tunnel Change,weblink December 22, 2022, NBC New York, December 22, 2022,weblink live, WEB, December 10, 2022, Lincoln Tunnel tolls now cashless; drivers without E-Zpass will get billed in mail,weblink December 22, 2022, ABC7 New York, December 22, 2022,weblink live, The tollbooths were dismantled, and drivers are no longer able to pay cash at the tunnel. Instead, there are cameras mounted onto new overhead gantries at the Dyer Plaza Ramp on the Manhattan side. A vehicle without E-ZPass will have a picture taken of its license plate and a bill for the toll will be mailed to its owner. For E-ZPass users, sensors will detect their transponders wirelessly.WEB, GWB, Lincoln & Holland tunnels getting rid of toll booths, New Jersey 101.5, July 25, 2019,weblink July 26, 2019, July 26, 2019,weblink live, In March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all-electronic tolling was temporarily placed in effect for all Port Authority crossings, including the Lincoln Tunnel.WEB,weblink March 22, 2020, In Line With Emergency Orders From New York and New Jersey, Port Authority to Collect Tolls Exclusively by Electronic Means and Temporarily Suspend Cash Toll Collection at Hudson River Crossings, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, March 28, 2020, March 28, 2020,weblink live, Cash toll collection was temporarily reinstated from October 2020 to December 2022 while the required open-road tolling infrastructure was being installed.WEB, Higgs, Larry, October 22, 2020, Cash tolls at the Lincoln Tunnel and GWB are back, but not for long,weblink December 24, 2020, nj, en, December 23, 2020,weblink live, NEWS, Barron, James, December 9, 2022, The Lincoln Tunnel is Phasing Out Cash — Permanently This Time, en-US, The New York Times,weblink December 22, 2022, 0362-4331, December 22, 2022,weblink live, The carpool discount was eliminated when open-road tolling was implemented.WEB, Higgs, Larry, Cashless tolls are coming to the GWB, but carpool discounts are ending, nj, June 9, 2022,weblink December 3, 2022, December 3, 2022,weblink live, The Lincoln Tunnel had been the last PANYNJ facility to accept cash.

Historical toll rates

{| class="wikitable sortable"|+Historical tolls for the Lincoln Tunnel!scope="col"| Years !!scope="col"| Toll !!scope="col"| Toll equivalentin {{inflation-year|US}}{{Inflation-fn|US}} !! scope="col"|Direction collected!class=unsortable|{{Abbr|Ref.|References cited}}| 1937–1970 $0.50 ${{formatnum:{{roundUS19372}}}}–{{roundUS19702}}| each direction|| 1970–1975 $1.00 ${{formatnum:{{roundUS19702}}}}–{{roundUS19752}}| eastbound only| | 1975–1983 $1.50 ${{formatnum:{{roundUS19752}}}}–{{roundUS19802}}| eastbound onlyDATE=MAY 5, 1975 ISSN=0362-4331 LANGUAGE=EN-US ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20180410134717/HTTPS://WWW.NYTIMES.COM/1975/05/05/ARCHIVES/PORT-AUTHORITY-BRIDGE-AND-TUNNEL-TOLLS-INCREASE-AT-MIDNIGHT.HTML, live, | 1983–1987 $2.00 ${{formatnum:{{roundUS19802}}}}–{{roundUS19872}}| eastbound onlyLAST1=ANDERSON LAST2=CARROLL DATE=DECEMBER 21, 1983 ISSN=0362-4331 ARCHIVE-DATE=APRIL 10, 2018 URL-STATUS=LIVE, | 1987–1991 $3.00 ${{formatnum:{{roundUS19872}}}}–{{roundUS19912}}| eastbound onlyDATE=APRIL 3, 1987 ISSN=0362-4331 ARCHIVE-DATE=APRIL 10, 2018 URL-STATUS=LIVE, | 1991–2001 $4.00 ${{formatnum:{{roundUS19912}}}}–{{roundUS20012}}| eastbound onlyLAST=LEVINE DATE=MARCH 23, 1991 ISSN=0362-4331 ARCHIVE-DATE=APRIL 10, 2018 URL-STATUS=LIVE, | 2001–2008 $6.00 ${{formatnum:{{roundUS20012}}}}–{{roundUS20082}}| eastbound onlyLAST=SMOTHERS DATE=JANUARY 26, 2001 ISSN=0362-4331 ARCHIVE-DATE=APRIL 10, 2018 URL-STATUS=LIVE, | 2008–2011 $8.00 ${{formatnum:{{roundUS20082}}}}–{{roundUS20112}}| eastbound onlyTITLE=PORT AUTHORITY RAISES BRIDGE AND TUNNEL TOLL TO $8 DATE=JANUARY 4, 2008 ACCESS-DATE=APRIL 16, 2018 ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20180416203420/HTTP://WWW.NJ.COM/NEWS/INDEX.SSF/2008/01/PORT_AUTHORITY_APPROVES_HUDSON.HTML, live, | 2011–2012 $12.00 ${{formatnum:{{roundUS20112}}}}–{{roundUS20122}}| eastbound onlyLOCATION=NEW YORK DATE=SEPTEMBER 18, 2011 ACCESS-DATE=APRIL 16, 2018 ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20180416201120/HTTP://NEWYORK.CBSLOCAL.COM/2011/09/18/PORT-AUTHORITY-TOLL-AND-FARE-HIKES-TAKE-EFFECT/, live, | 2012–2014 $13.00 ${{formatnum:{{roundUS20122}}}}–{{formatnum:{{roundUS20142}}}}| eastbound onlyLOCATION=NEW YORK DATE=DECEMBER 2, 2012 ACCESS-DATE=APRIL 16, 2018 ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20180416201048/HTTP://NEWYORK.CBSLOCAL.COM/2012/12/02/TOLL-INCREASES-TAKE-EFFECT-ON-PORT-AUTHORITY-CROSSINGS/, live, | 2014–2015 $14.00 ${{formatnum:{{roundUS20142}}}}–{{formatnum:{{roundUS20152}}}}| eastbound onlyLOCATION=NEW YORK DATE=DECEMBER 5, 2014 ACCESS-DATE=APRIL 16, 2018 ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20180416200922/HTTP://NEWYORK.CBSLOCAL.COM/2014/12/05/TOLLS-GOING-UP-AT-PORT-AUTHORITY-CROSSINGS/, live, | 2015–2020 $15.00 ${{formatnum:{{roundUS20152}}}}–{{formatnum:{{roundUS20202}}}}| eastbound onlyDATE=DECEMBER 4, 2015 ACCESS-DATE=APRIL 16, 2018 ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20180417022758/HTTP://ABC7NY.COM/1109828/, live, | 2020–2023 $16.00 ${{formatnum:{{roundUS20202}}}}–$16.00| eastbound onlyDATE=JANUARY 4, 2020 ACCESS-DATE=JANUARY 5, 2020 ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20220429005747/HTTPS://WWW.NBCNEWYORK.COM/NEWS/LOCAL/THIS-IS-HOW-MUCH-NEW-TOLLS-COST-FOR-NYC-BRIDGES-TUNNELS/2254789/, live, | 2023–2024 $17.00 $17.00| eastbound only TITLE=TOLLS ARE GOING UP ON N.J. HIGHWAYS, BRIDGES AND TUNNELS IN 2023. HERE'S HOW MUCH AND WHERE. DATE=DECEMBER 31, 2022 ACCESS-DATE=JANUARY 3, 2023 ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20230103010246/HTTPS://WWW.NJ.COM/NEWS/2022/12/TOLLS-ARE-GOING-UP-ON-NJ-HIGHWAYS-BRIDGES-AND-TUNNELS-IN-2023-HERES-HOW-MUCH-AND-WHERE.HTML, live, | Since January 7, 2024 $17.63 $17.63| eastbound only TITLE=TOLL INCREASES TAKE EFFECT FOR HOLLAND AND LINCOLN TUNNELS, GEORGE WASHINGTON, BAYONNE AND GOETHALS BRIDGES DATE=JANUARY 8, 2024 ACCESS-DATE=JANUARY 8, 2024 ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20240108183058/HTTPS://WWW.CBSNEWS.COM/NEWYORK/NEWS/TOLL-INCREASES-TAKE-EFFECT-FOR-HOLLAND-AND-LINCOLN-TUNNELS-GEORGE-WASHINGTON-BAYONNE-AND-GOETHALS-BRIDGES/, live,

Congestion toll

{{further|Congestion pricing in New York City#Tolls}}{{As of|2023}}, congestion pricing in New York City is planned to be implemented in 2024; drivers who enter Manhattan via the tunnel would pay a second toll. The congestion charges are planned to be collected via E-ZPass and tolls-by-mail.NEWS, Ley, Ana, 2023-06-28, How Might Congestion Pricing Actually Work in New York?, en-US, The New York Times,weblink 2023-12-02, 0362-4331, December 2, 2023,weblink live, The charges are planned to vary based on time of day and vehicle class, but the congestion toll is expected to be charged once per day. Drivers who use the Lincoln Tunnel to enter the congestion zone will receive a credit toward the congestion charge during the day, and they would pay a discounted toll at night.WEB, Bascome, Erik, December 2, 2023, NYC congestion pricing: How much you'll pay, crossing credits, exemptions and more,weblink December 2, 2023, silive, December 2, 2023,weblink live, WEB, Kramer, Marcia, Williams, Doug, Duddridge, Natalie, Congestion pricing draft report obtained by CBS New York shows $15 toll for most drivers entering Manhattan's Central Business District, CBS New York, November 30, 2023,weblink December 2, 2023, December 2, 2023,weblink live,

See also

• Transportation in New York City
• List of fixed crossings of the Hudson River
• List of tunnels documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in New York

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

{{Commons category}}{{Attached KML|display=inline,title}}

• {{official websiteweblink}}
• NEWS, Armagnac, Alden P.,weblink Glass-Lined River Tunnel Built In Record Time, Popular Science Monthly, March 1936, 34–35, Google Books,

{{NYC Bridge}}{{PANYNJ navbox}}{{Crossings navbox|structure = Crossings|place = Hudson River|bridge = Lincoln Tunnel25px) (File:NY-495.svg|25px)|upstream = George Washington Bridge20px) (File:US 1.svg20px) (File:US 46.svg|20px)|downstream = North River Tunnels|downstream signs = AmtrakNJ Transit}}{{Hudson River}}