2011.005

Lukacs, Claire

Gift

Museum Collections. Gift of a friend of the Museum.

1937 - 1937

Date(s) Created: 1937 Date(s): 1937-1937

Good

Notes: Archives 2011.005.0195 text on side 1 [side 1, right panel - cover as folded] Lincoln Tunnel. A New 4 Minute Crossing. Between New Jersey and New York from Weehawken, New Jersey to 39th Street, New York City. Built, Owned and Operated by The Port of New York Authority, 111 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. [side 1, left panel] THE LINCOLN TUNNEL, connecting 39th Street, Manhattan, with Weehawken, New Jersey, is a third interstate motor highway across the Hudson River in the Port of New York District. It has been constructed by The Port of New York Authority to serve the area midway between the Holland Tunnel and the George Washington Bridge. A major engineering feat, the Lincoln Tunnel opens to traffic on December 22, 1937, three years and seven months after the start of work. Two shields (steel cylinders with sharp cutting edges propelled forward by hydraulic jacks) bored through the river bed, starting from opposite sides and met within one quarter of an inch when the tunnel was "holed through" on August 22, 1935. Patterned after the Holland Tunnel, the Lincoln Tunnel has a wider roadway to accommodate two-way traffic until the comple- tion of a second tube. Work is already well advanced on this second unit which will open in 1941. The ventilation system, like that of the Holland Tunnel, provides complete protection from motor exhaust fumes. Giant blower fans, located in three ventilation buildings continuously blow fresh air into a duct below the roadway. At the seme time vitiated air is sucked out ofthe tunnel through an upper duct, assuring a healthful atmosphere at all times. Dyer Avenue, an entirely new north and south right-of-way has been constructed parallel to Ninth and Tenth Avenues, giving access to and from the tunnel at 34th, 35th, 36th, 40th, 41st or 42nd Streets. The tunnel approach underpasses 37th, 38th and 39th Streets. The West Side Highway will be reached via the 46th Street ramp to and from the north and via the 40th Street ramp to and from the south. In New Jersey, a new depressed highway now under construction across the top of the Palisades will, when completed, provide direct access to New Jersey Routes 1 and 3. In the present stage the tunnel is readily reached via any of the following routes: UNION CITY: East on 32nd Street to New South Marginal Street to Boulevard east to PATERSON: East on New Jersey Route 3 to Paterson Plank Road LINCOLN to Paterson Turnpike to Hackensack Turnpike to 32nd Street TUNNEL to South Marginal Street to Boulevard East to HOBOKEN: North on Willow Ave. or Park Avenue to Underpass to The Lincoln Tunnel makes possible a substantial saving in time for interstate motorists. Driving time from City Hall, Manhattan, to Main and Market Streets, Paterson, it is estimated, will be reduced seventeen minutes by using the tunnel. The drive from City Hall, Union City, to City Hall, Manhattan, will be cut by eleven minutes, and the drive from 14th Street and Willow Avenue, Hoboken, to City Hall, Manhattan, by six minutes by the new tunnel and its approaches. [side 2, center panel] DATA ON THE LINCOLN TUNNEL Length of first (south) tube, portal to portal 8,215 feet Length of second (north) tube, portal to portal 7,400 feet Length of each tube under river 4,600 feet Width of two-lane roadway, between curbs 21 1/2 feet Operating headroom clearance 13 feet External diameter of cast iron and cast steel shell in general 31 feet Maximum depth from river surface to top of tunnel 75 feet Three ventilation buildings with a total of 32 fans First Operating Unit due to be opened for traffic in December, 1937 Second (north) tube of tunnel due to be opened in 1941 Ultimate cost of complete project *$74,800,000 *Exclusive of above $10,000,000.00 for the cost of a depressed highway across the Palisades. TRAFFIC RULES Same as at Holland Tunnel with the following exceptions: All slow vehicles not able to maintain a speed of twenty miles per hour on tunnel upgrades will be excluded at the outset. All heavy vehicles over five tons gross weight combined vehicle and load, will be excluded at the outset. All trucks propelled by Diesel engines will be excluded. Maximum height of vehicles 13 feet. Maximum length of single vehicles 35 feet. Maximum length of truck or tractor with trailer or semi-trailer 80 feet. Maximum side overhang, 9 inches up to 2 feet 3 inches above roadway, 15 inches above 2 feet 3 inches. TOLL RATES Same as Holland Tunnel and George Washington Bridge. Also combination rates with Staten Island Bridges. Complete traffic rules, regulations and toll rates are on file and may be inspected at the general offices of the Port Authority, 111 Eighth Avenue, New York City. Leaflet containing same may also be obtained from the toll collectors at any Port Authority facility. Additional copies of this leaflet may be secured by writing to Department B. 45675 Status: OK Status By: dw Status Date: 2011-09-13