Previously, conventional ventilation systems in railroad tunnels were designed to blow air from one portal to the other. It was concluded that the tunnel's ventilation system would need to keep the carbon monoxide concentration below four parts per 10,000. Studies were made in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania by the Bureau of Mines to determine the composition of motor vehicle exhaust gases, at Yale University to determine the effects of carbon monoxide on humans, and at the University of Illinois to determine the amount of power required to operate the ventilation system. Meanwhile, experiments were conducted to provide the data necessary to design the special ventilation system for motor vehicle exhaust. Holland's plan called for twin tubes lined with cast iron, each containing two lanes of traffic on a single deck, and was ultimately selected. Goethals (who previously served as chief engineer of the Panama Canal) that included a single tube lined with concrete blocks having two levels, each containing three traffic lanes. The first tunnel with a ventilation system specifically designed for exhaust fumes from motor vehicles, the Holland Tunnel has four ventilation buildings.Įleven different plans for the tunnel were proposed, including a design by General George W. Freeman to serve as the resident engineer and supervise construction. He enlisted the help of Ole Singstad to serve as the project's design engineer and Milton M. Educated at Harvard University, Holland received a Bachelor of Arts in 1905 and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 1906. Although he was just 36 years old, Holland was a well-known expert in underwater tunnel construction, having designed four subway tunnels across the East River including the IRT Clark Street Tunnel (2 and 3 trains), the BMT 14th Street Tunnel (L train), the BMT 60th Street Tunnel (N, R, and W trains), and the BMT Montague Street Tunnel (M and R trains). The commissions would later concur that a bridge was not economically feasible due to the long span that would be required to cross the Hudson River, the deep foundations that would be needed to reach bedrock, and the lengthy approaches would necessitate the purchase of large amounts of real estate.Ĭlifford Milburn Holland was appointed as chief engineer of the tunnel project and began work on June 15, 1919. In 1913, Davies estimated the cost of a tunnel at $10 million, compared to $50 million for a bridge in the same location. Vipond Davies ( president of the ASCE New York Section in 1921-1922) was an early proponent of a tunnel from Canal Street in Manhattan to 13th Street in Jersey City. While initial proposals called for a bridge, J. Plans for the Hudson River crossing began in 1906 with the appointment of joint commissions in New York and New Jersey to construct one or more bridges between New York City and New Jersey. Once described as the "Eighth Wonder of the World," at the time of completion it was the longest underwater vehicular tunnel, the first tunnel constructed with a ventilation system specifically designed to handle automobile and truck exhaust fumes, and had the largest tube width-twin tubes at 29.5 feet (9 m) in diameter, setting the standard for other vehicular tunnels throughout the world that followed. The Holland Tunnel opened in 1927 as the first underwater vehicular crossing of the Hudson River between Manhattan and Jersey City, New Jersey. Some of the components that are still damaged include: safety walks and rails curb drainage structural steel blower ducts granite block retaining walls exhaust ducts fire detection and suppression systems pump rooms lighting and corroded elevator parts and voice communication system and fiber optic cables.The Holland Tunnel was the longest underwater vehicular tunnel in the world when it opened. ![]() The agency said that 30 million gallons of brackish water entered into tubs through New Jersey portals in Oct. The reason for shutting down that part of the 1.6-mile-long tunnel for so long: Crucial repairs on damage caused by Superstorm Sandy, as well as resiliency projects to protect against future storms, according to Port Authority. six nights a week, will last through 2025, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said Tuesday. 5, the New Jersey-bound tube will be closed off to traffic during the overnight hours. Thinking of doing any late-night drives from New York City to New Jersey any time soon? If so, you may want to avoid the Holland Tunnel for the next few years.
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