Queens Midtown Tunnel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Queens Midtown Tunnel | |
| Carries | 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 | 1,955 m (6,414 feet) |
| Vertical clearance | 12 feet 1 inch (3.7 m) |
| Opening date | November 15, 1940 |
| Toll | $4.50 (both directions per car in cash); discount available with E-ZPass |
The Queens Midtown Tunnel is a 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) 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 in 1940. The tunnel consists of twin tubes carrying an aggregate of four traffic lanes, and is 1,955 m (6,414 feet) long. It once carried New York State Route 24.
One interesting feature is the apartment houses that overlook the toll plaza.
From March 18, 2005, the crossing charge for a two-axle passenger vehicle is $4.50 charged in each direction, with a 50¢ discount for E-ZPass users. The crossing charge for a motorcycle is $2.00 charged in each direction, with a $0.25 discount for E-ZPass users.
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 overturns to ride on the ceiling of the tunnel.
The tunnel is closed to traffic 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 2007, the circus opens on Saturday, March 31 and the Animal Walk will take place at approximately midnight on Tuesday, March 27. 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.
| Crossings of the East River | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Upstream Steinway Tunnel  |
Queens Midtown Tunnel |
Downstream East River Tunnels |
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