178th–179th Street Tunnels

Disused vehicular tunnels in New York City thumb|Eastern portal of 178th St tunnel The 178th and 179th Street Tunnels are two disused vehicular tunnels in Upper Manhattan in New York City. Conceived and built under the auspices of Robert Moses, the twin tunnels have been superseded by the Trans-Manhattan Expressway in Washington Heights, built in the 1950s as a high-speed interstate bypass of the tunnels. By 1962, the two tunnels were out of commission; they are used today as storage space by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. History The tunnels were built to carry traffic between the east side of Upper Manhattan and the George Washington Bridge (which opened in 1931) on the west side.Two Governors Open Great Hudson Bridge As Throngs Look On https://www.nytimes.com/1931/10/25/archives/two-governors-open-great-hudson-bridge-as-throngs-look-on-5000.html The New York Times 0362-4331 October 25, 1931 March 6, 2010 Originally, only the 178th Street Tunnel was built, consisting of a 2400 ft m mid -long tube with a width of 22 ft and a clearance of 13.5 ft. It carried traffic to and from the George Washington Bridge at the western end. The eastern end split into two directions: a ramp to Amsterdam Avenue on the right and a 1000 ft m mid -long driveway south to the Harlem River Drive on the left.June 26, 1940 Cross-city Tunnel Opens Tomorrow; Manhattan's First East-West Drive Goes Under Heights From Washington Bridge en-US The New York Times https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1940/06/26/112744136.pdf 25 January 26, 2021 0362-4331 Plans for the 178th Street Tunnel were approved in 1930, and the tunnel was nearly completed by early 1932.January 24, 1932 Tube to Hudson Span to Be Ready in Fall; 2,000-Foot Vehicular Tunnel Under 178th Street Nearly Completed -- For Bridge Traffic Only en-US The New York Times https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1932/01/24/105771205.pdf 23 January 26, 2021 0362-4331 However, the opening of the tube was postponed for several years until traffic growth warranted the tunnel's opening, and the Port Authority resumed construction in 1938 for the 1939 New York World's Fair.March 20, 1938 Tunnel on Heights Nears Completion; Entire Approach to George Washington Bridge Will Be in Use for the Fair en-US The New York Times https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1938/03/20/96807053.pdf 1 January 26, 2021 0362-4331 After delays related to the construction of the Harlem River Drive ramp,May 27, 1940 178th St. Tunnel to Open June 27 en-US The New York Times https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1940/05/27/94832625.pdf 16 January 26, 2021 0362-4331 the 178th Street Tunnel opened on June 27, 1940, serving both directions of traffic. Due to labor shortages and low traffic during World War II, the tunnel was closed in May 1942, reopening in November 1945.November 10, 1945 Uptown Tunnel Reopened; Links George Washington Bridge and Harlem River Drive en-US The New York Times https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1945/11/10/103602692.pdf 13 January 26, 2021 0362-4331 thumb|One of the tunnels under the Bronx-George Washington Bridge in 1952 While the 179th Street Tunnel had been planned along with its counterpart in 1930, engineers waited until the traffic loads demanded the opening of a new tunnel. By the late 1940s, the 178th Street Tunnel was frequently congested.Ingraham Joseph C. April 27, 1952 Approach to G. Washington Bridge; Tunnel and Interchange Simplify Access From Harlem River Drive en-US The New York Times https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1952/04/27/93366520.pdf 311 January 26, 2021 0362-4331 Construction began on the 179th Street Tunnel in June 1949. The work involved constructing the Highbridge Interchange, which contained ramps from the 178th Street Tunnel to the Harlem River Drive, Amsterdam Avenue, and the Washington Bridge across the Harlem River, as well as corresponding ramps from these roads to the 179th Street Tunnel.June 10, 1949 Widening to Start on Harlem Bridge; $736,996 Contract Let by State for Washington Span, Link in Cross Bronx Expressway en-US The New York Times http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1949/06/10/84215606.pdf 29 January 26, 2021 0362-4331 The ramp from the 178th Street Tunnel to Harlem River Drive, which had been completed only a decade prior, was demolished in 1950.https://www.proquest.com/docview/1114042989 Washington Heights Car Viaduct Is Being Razed for Interchange New York Herald Tribune August 10, 1950 January 28, 2021 subscription 21 1114042989 The 179th Street Tunnel cost $9 million and the Highbridge Interchange cost $4.6 million. Both projects opened on May 5, 1952. At that time, the 178th Street Tunnel was reconfigured to serve eastbound traffic only, while the 179th served the westbound.May 4, 1952 Two Traffic Aids to Open Tomorrow; Tunnel Under 179th Street and Highbridge Interchange Will End Bottlenecks en-US The New York Times http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1952/05/04/93368200.pdf 86 January 26, 2021 0362-4331 The two tunnels had a similar display, with a stone arch for portals and "Whitestone" light posts.George Washington Bridge Approach and Highbridge Expressway Interchange The Port of New York Authority, New York State Department of Public Works and New York City Construction Coordinator 1952 After the end of World War II, New York public works baron Robert Moses started work on a bypass in Manhattan of the Washington Heights area to serve the George Washington Bridge. The traffic for the George Washington Bridge began to overwhelm the twin two-lane tunnels. In addition, the ventilation system was inadequate, and needed replacing. The plans for the Trans-Manhattan Expressway were conceived in 1955Joint Study of Arterial Facilities The Port of New York Authority-Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority 1955 and seven years later, the new expressway opened to traffic.Lower Deck of George Washington Bridge Is Opened Joseph C. Ingraham https://www.nytimes.com/1962/08/30/archives/lower-deck-of-george-washington-bridge-is-opened-new-deck-opens-on.html The New York Times August 30, 1962 1 April 4, 2010 Following the closures, the entranceway of the 178th Street Tunnel was used as a secondary emergency equipment garage for the George Washington Bridge but later removed. The two tunnels are currently being used as storage space. Although the two tunnels were closed, there were proposals to use them again for vehicular traffic. A study was completed, in which the tunnels would be rehabilitated and reused temporarily for traffic diverted from a reconstruction of the Trans-Manhattan Expressway and the Alexander Hamilton Bridge.Car And Travel Automobile Club of New York 2003 The rehabilitation never happened and the tunnels continue to be used as storage. References External links Trans-Manhattan Expressway (Interstate 95, US 1 and US 9) collapsed collapsed 40 50 45 N 73 55 55 W dms title type:landmark_region:US-NY Category:Expressways in New York City Category:Robert Moses projects Category:Road tunnels in New York City Category:1940 establishments in New York City Category:Tunnels completed in 1940 Category:Port Authority of New York and New Jersey