The Longest Tunnel In New Jersey Has A Truly Fascinating Backstory
By Kristen|Published April 24, 2018
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Kristen
Author
Kristen is a writer, editor, and social media maven who loves her state. Born and raised in New Jersey, sharing all it has to offer is her passion. After attending Montclair State University, she continued her education online, obtaining certifications in social media management.
New Jersey is home to half of one of the most famous tunnel in the world. While the Lincoln Tunnel gets more traffic, it’s the Holland Tunnel that’s the longest. You’ve likely driven through it before but may not know about its fascinating history.
The Holland Tunnel spans 8,558 feet westbound across the Hudson River.
It is slightly shorter eastbound, coming in at 8,371 feet. The tunnel is located 93 feet below the water and it has a clearance of 12.6 feet. At the time it was built, it was the longest automobile tunnel ever.
Completed in 1927, the Holland Tunnel was the first mechanically ventilated underwater vehicular tunnel in the world.
Eighty-four fans, in four ventilation buildings, create a floor to ceiling air flow across the roadway at regular intervals, via systems of ducts beneath and above the roadway. The fans can completely change the air inside the tunnel every 90 seconds. Construction of the tunnel and ventilation system was a seven year process that began in 1920. The innovative vents were designed by Ole Singstad and can be found in the Hudson River (2), Manhattan (1), and Jersey City (1). The system is so efficient that some joke the air inside is cleaner than the air in some parts of New York City.
Clifford Holland was the project's chief architect. Originally set to be called the Hudson River Vehicular Tunnel or the Canal Street Tunnel, a decision was made to name the tunnel after Holland following his untimely death in 1924. Another architect (Milton Harvey Freeman) took over the project but died several months later. Ole Singstad (the vent architect) oversaw the entire project to its completion.
In 1949, a fire aboard a chemical truck caused enormous damage to the south tube of the tunnel. The fire caused 69 injuries and nearly $600,000 worth of damage. In addition, two first responders, a FDNY battalion chief and a Port Authority patrolman, died as a result of injuries sustained during the fire. Following the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, the tunnel remained closed to all but emergency traffic for over a month. Following Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the tunnel was flooded and closed for several days. Currently, it bears the weight of approximately 35,000,000 cars each year. On a less serious note, the tunnel is the setting of the 1996 movie Daylight, which depicts a group of people trapped in the tunnel because of an explosion, trying to escape.
The Holland Tunnel can be found in the Newport neighborhood of Jersey City, connecting to the Tribeca neighborhood in Manhattan. In 1984, because of its valuable contribution to tunnel design and construction, the Holland Tunnel was designated a National Historic Civil and Mechanical Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil and Mechanical Engineers. In 1993, it was designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior. And it’s all ours! Well, half ours. The better half. For a totally different kind of tunnel in New Jersey, check out the Rainbow Tunnel!
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