- Queens–Midtown Tunnel
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Queens-Midtown Tunnel 
Queens Midtown Tunnel, NYC PortalCarries 4 lanes of I-495 Crosses East River Locale Manhattan, New York and Queens, New York Maintained by Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority Total length 6,414 feet (1,955 m) Vertical clearance 12 feet 1 inch (3.68 m) Opened November 15, 1940 Toll $6.50 as of December 30, 2010 (both directions per car in cash) ; discount available with E-ZPass Daily traffic 79,345 (2008)[1] Coordinates 40°44′44″N 73°57′53″W / 40.74556°N 73.96472°WCoordinates: 40°44′44″N 73°57′53″W / 40.74556°N 73.96472°W 
The Queens–Midtown Tunnel (sometimes simply known as the Midtown Tunnel) is a highway tunnel and toll road in New York City. It crosses under the East River and connects the Borough of Queens (at the Long Island City terminus of I-495, the Long Island Expressway) on Long Island with the Borough of Manhattan (between the major crosstown thoroughfares of East 34th Street and East 42nd Street in the Midtown Manhattan area). Designed by Ole Singstad, it was opened to traffic on November 15, 1940.[2] The tunnel consists of twin tubes carrying four traffic lanes, and is 6,414 feet (1,955 m) long. It once carried New York State Route 24.
When planning began, a bridge was strongly supported by some backers, who balked at the increased cost of a tunnel and the fact that it would not be completed in time for the 1939 World's Fair. Manhattan borough president Samuel Levy in particular was a strong backer of a six-lane bridge plan. Commissioner William Friedman of the New York City Tunnel Authority rejected the alternative outright.[3]
As of December 30, 2010, the crossing charge for a two-axle passenger vehicle is $6.50 charged in each direction, with a $1.70 discount for E-ZPass users. The crossing charge for a motorcycle is $2.75 charged in each direction, with a discount to $.66 for E-ZPass users.[4]
Manhattan-bound traffic exit the Queens-Midtown Tunnel on the Manhattan side.
The tunnel is owned by the City of New York and operated by the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, an affiliate agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York).
In the 1997 feature film Men in Black, Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith star in a scene in which their Ford LTD car rides upside down on the ceiling of the tunnel.
Since 1981, the tunnel has been closed to traffic for a few hours one night each spring to allow for the annual Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Animal Walk. Several nights before the circus opens at Madison Square Garden, the elephants march into Manhattan and down 34th Street to the arena. In 2008, the circus opened on March 20th and the Animal Walk took place at approximately midnight on March 18th. While this event is a much anticipated annual tradition for some, in recent years it has attracted organizations protesting the treatment of the circus animals.[5][6]
References
- ^ "2008 Traffic Data Report for New York State" (PDF). New York State Department of Transportation. Appendix C. https://www.nysdot.gov/divisions/engineering/technical-services/hds-respository/NYSDOT_TDR_Appendix_C.pdf. Retrieved 2010-02-27.
- ^ "$58,000,000 Tunnel to Queens Opened". The New York Times: p. 1. November 16, 1940. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F3081EFC3C5D177A93C4A8178AD95F448485F9. Retrieved 2009-10-11.
- ^ "Bridge, Not Tunnel, to Queens is Urged". The New York Times: p. 19. April 13, 1936. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0D15FE3F58107A93C1A8178FD85F428385F9. Retrieved 2011-04-14.
- ^ "Crossing Charges". MTA Bridges & Tunnels. http://www.mta.info/mta/pdf/approved_bandt_tolls.pdf. Retrieved 2010-02-21.
- ^ Barry, Dan (March 22, 2006). "The Manhattan of Beasts". The New York Times. http://select.nytimes.com/2006/03/22/nyregion/22about.html. Retrieved 2010-02-21.
- ^ "Elephant Promenade through Queens Midtown Tunnel" (Press release). MTA Bridges & Tunnels. March 14, 2008. http://mta.info/mta/news/releases/?agency=bandt&en=080314-BT. Retrieved 2010-02-21.
External links
- Queens Midtown Tunnel Turns 70. (November 15, 2010). MTA's Facebook page.
- Queens Midtown Tunnel Marks 70th Birthday. (November 15, 2010). NY1 local news channel.
MTA Bridges and Tunnels Bronx–Whitestone Bridge • Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel • Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge • Henry Hudson Bridge • Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge • Queens–Midtown Tunnel • Robert F. Kennedy Bridge • Throgs Neck Bridge • Verrazano-Narrows Bridge
Crossings of the East River Upstream
Steinway Tunnel
Queens-Midtown Tunnel
Downstream
East River TunnelsCategories:- Toll tunnels in New York City
- East River
- Tolled sections of Interstate Highways
- Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority
- Tunnels completed in 1940
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