Holland Tunnel, New Jersey

According to transporthint, the Holland Tunnel is a 2.6 kilometer long tunnel in the United States. The tunnel is located under the Hudson River, which forms the border between Jersey City (state of New Jersey ) and the New York borough of Manhattan. Interstate 78 runs through the tunnel.

History

The first plans for a river crossing arose in 1906, initially as a bridge due to cost. However, the estimated costs quickly mounted due to the expropriation for the long embankments and the height of the bridge over the river so as not to disrupt shipping traffic. As a result, a tunnel was decided in 1913. In the years that followed, various proposals were studied, including a single-tube tunnel with two layers. Later this was adapted to two tunnel tubes. Construction of the tunnel began in the spring of 1922 in the New York borough of Manhattan. One of the most striking things was the ventilation, which had never been used in long tunnels until the 1920s to capture the exhaust gases. Construction took 7 years and cost 14 workers their lives. The tunnel opened on November 13, 1927. The tunnel was an instant success and over 50,000 vehicles used the tunnel that day. The toll was 50 cents. Between 2003 and 2006 the tunnel was modernized with better fire safety measures. Between 2019 and 2024, the tunnel was renovated for $364 million.

Naming

The Holland Tunnel is named after Clifford Milburn Holland (1883-1924), an American engineer who was responsible for the construction of several subway and automobile tunnels in and around New York City.

Road connections

Interstate 78 runs through the tunnel, which ends at the exit in Manhattan. This stretch of I-78 is physically isolated from the rest of the Interstate Highway systemby four at-grade intersections in Jersey City interrupting I-78. Jersey City has a toll plaza with 9 toll gates. Given the traffic intensity, this is not much. As a result, the traffic jams at the toll gates paralyze parts of Jersey City every day. In Manhattan, the tunnel ends on several streets to relieve the pressure from traffic lights. Towards Manhattan, the tunnel tube terminates at two intersections of Hudson Street, Ericsson Place, and two intersections of Varick Street in the Greenwich Village neighborhood. Heading west, the tunnel tube begins on several streets, two intersections of Varick Street, Hudson Street, and Canal Street.

Toll

The Holland Tunnel is a toll road, managed by the Port Authority. The toll is charged only to New York and the toll rates are the same as for the Lincoln Tunnel, Bayonne Bridge, Goethals Bridge and George Washington Bridge.

The toll rate depends on the time of day and whether you have an E-ZPass. In 2018, the cash toll was $15 all day, $12.50 during rush hour with E-ZPass and $10.50 outside rush hour with E-ZPass. Traffic actually pays for the return trip at once.

95,000 vehicles use the tunnel daily, causing significant delays, especially on the Jersey City side, where waiting times at the toll plaza can easily reach 30 to 45 minutes.

List of busiest highways in New Jersey

According to travelationary, this is a list of busiest highways in New Jersey, a state in the United States. The numbers come from the state’s Department of Transportation. The intensity is from the location north or east of the indicated intersecting road.