en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Metropolitan Section jointly held a ceremony on May 14 to announce the designation of the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel as a New York Metropolitan Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by ASCE. A plaque has been installed on the exterior wall of the tunnel's ventilation building on the Manhattan side.
This 9,117-foot-long tunnel, located beneath the bed of the East River, is a critical link in New York City's vehicular traffic network. Designed by Chief Engineer Ole Singstad and opened in 1950, it was the longest continuous underwater vehicular tunnel in the world at the time of its construction. The project employed cut-and-cover and shield tunneling methods, and featured an innovative radial well dewatering system near the Brooklyn entrance.
MTA Bridges and Tunnels President Catherine Sheridan stated that today's plaque unveiling ceremony recognizes the innovative engineering embodied in the construction of this tunnel. ASCE Metropolitan Section President Ivan L. Guzman noted that the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel was designed and built by previous generations of civil engineers, and the significance of its landmark designation lies in reminding people of the role civil engineers play in building the foundation of society, connecting communities, and driving economic growth.
The Hugh L. Carey Tunnel is the fourth MTA asset to receive ASCE landmark status. Previously, the first section of the New York City Subway was designated a National Historic Civil and Mechanical Engineering Landmark in 1977; the Triborough/Robert F. Kennedy Bridge project and Grand Central Terminal received this honor in 1986 and 2012, respectively.
The tunnel's twin tubes feature four traffic lanes, serving as a vital connection between Brooklyn and Manhattan, carrying over 60,000 vehicles each weekday, including 30 express bus routes operating between Manhattan and Staten Island or Brooklyn. Originally named the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, its groundbreaking was presided over by then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt on October 28, 1940. Originally scheduled for completion in four years, labor and material shortages during World War II extended the construction to a decade, finally opening to traffic on May 25, 1950, with a one-way toll of 35 cents. Currently, the one-way toll for this tunnel is $12.03, or $7.46 with E-ZPass.
The tunnel was the fourth major highway tunnel to open in New York City, preceded by the Holland Tunnel in 1927, the Lincoln Tunnel in 1937, and the Queens-Midtown Tunnel in 1940. In 2012, the tunnel was officially renamed in honor of former New York Governor and Congressman Hugh L. Carey, who passed away in 2011. The 1.7-mile-long Hugh L. Carey Tunnel remains the longest continuous underwater vehicular tunnel in the United States, and is second only to Japan's 14.5-mile-long Seikan Tunnel globally.
Founded in New York City in 1852, ASCE is the oldest national engineering society in the United States, representing over 160,000 civil engineering professionals. The society launched its Historic Civil Engineering Landmark Program in 1966 to recognize historically significant engineering projects. Selection criteria require that a project be at least 50 years old, possess historic civil engineering significance, and demonstrate special uniqueness or employ unique construction techniques. Within the ASCE Metropolitan Section's jurisdiction, 16 projects have been designated as local, national, or international Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks.
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