Happy Birthday, Holland Tunnel: Historic Crossing Turns 90

The Holland Tunnel – the first trans-Hudson vehicle crossing linking New York and New Jersey and the “first mechanically ventilated underwater tunnel in the world” – turned 90-years-old on Monday, according to the Port Authority of NY/NJ.

The tunnel, which connects Jersey City and Lower Manhattan, was built under the auspices of the New York State Bridge and Tunnel Commission and the New Jersey Interstate Bridge and Tunnel Commission and opened for business on November 13, 1927.

These days, the tunnel is a critical component of the Port Authority’s transportation network, handling more than 30 million vehicles each year.

• See related article: Port Authority Promises No Hikes At Bridges And Tunnels For 2018

Port Authority officials gave some background on the history of the tunnel on Monday:

“In 1984, the Holland Tunnel was designated a National Historic Civil and Mechanical Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil and Mechanical Engineers due to its valuable contribution to tunnel design and construction. In 1993, the tunnel was designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior. Prior to the tunnel opening, the only underground tunnels linking the two states were for rail travel and operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Hudson & Manhattan Railroad, which in 1962 became the Port Authority Trans-Hudson or PATH system.”

• See related article: (PHOTO) Holland Tunnel Green Roof In Infrared
• See related article: Shepard Fairey Begins 140-Foot Mural At Holland Tunnel

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Photo: Flickr / slgckgc