The Holland Tunnel was the first major ventilated highway tunnel connecting New York and New Jersey. Prior to the tunnel’s construction, ferries were the only mode of transportation connecting the two cities. Construction began in 1920 and took seven years to complete. Costing $54 million to construct, the tunnel reaches 8,558 feet (2,608 m) from the north tube and 8,371 feet (2,551 m) from the south tube. Clifford Holland led the project as chief engineer until his untimely death in 1927, after which Milton Freeman and Ole Singstad took over.

More than 1.5 billion vehicles have traveled through the tunnel since its opening.

Contents 1 Construction History 1.1 Prior to Construction 1.2 Sandhogs and Shovels 1.3 The End of the Tunnel 2 Equipment Used 3 Refurbishment/Recent Projects/Renovations 4 Unique Facts 5 References

[edit] Construction History

[edit] Prior to Construction

The idea of the Holland Tunnel was conceived to combat the growing traffic of automobiles and transport trucks on the Hudson River ferries. Originally, a bridge was proposed due to its cheaper imposed costs, but a bridge would impose unfeasible height restrictions for passing boats and ships that were not feasible. Deciding that a tunnel wouldn’t undergo the weather-related stress that a bridge would suffer, several tunnel concepts were posited.

Both proposals were for bi-level tunnels of varying lengths, widths, and number of lanes but it was the twin-tunnel design by Clifford Holland that won the competition in 1919. The New York-New Jersey joint coalition appointed Clifford Holland the chief engineer of the project that would relieve the traffic congestion caused by the 30 million vehicles that traveled the Hudson River ferries every year.

One of the prevailing problems with building vehicular tunnels was the affect of exhaust on passengers stuck in the tunnel during high-traffic periods. Holland put together a team of experts responsible for designing a tunnel with this factor in mind. The team worked around this problem by testing the affect of vehicle exhaust on individuals in a closed area. Their findings revealed that air with one-half percent of carbon monoxide could seriously harm or kill passengers.^[1]

In response, Holland’s team of experts designed a two-duct system that would consist of one duct sucking in fresh air while the second duct would suck out carbon monoxide. Ventilator fans and air-shafts were installed, a total of 42 blowing fans and 42 exhaust fans were used to remove and replace air throughout the entire tunnel in approximately 90 minutes. Each fan is 80 feet (24.4 m) in diameter, equivalent in height to a 10-story building.^[2]

[edit] Sandhogs and Shovels

The project began on February 1, 1920 with workers known as “sandhogs” who excavated and drilled through mud, blasting through rocks on both sides of the river. The dangerous nature of removing earth involved sandhogs operating two large 240-ton hydraulic shovels manufactured by Marion Power Shovel Co. Made of cast-iron shield, they weighed 400 tons each, were 30 feet (9.1 m) in diameter, 16 feet (4.9 m) long and could thrust 6,000 tons. When the sandhogs removed earth and rock, iron rings were fused to what would be the interior lining of the tunnel.

This was an extremely arduous and dangerous operation. The sandhogs developed an expression fitting of this process: “Think twice, you only live once.” It was a slow process -- sandhogs could advance up to 40 feet (12.2 m) when the project was running smoothly, but there were times when no progress was made. Sometimes work was delayed when workers were suffering from the bends, an infliction that occurs due to exposure to compressed air.

[edit] The End of the Tunnel

Sandhogs from both ends of the tunnel in New Jersey and New York reached each other by 1927.

Holland died of tonsillectomy complications a day before the two sides were scheduled to meet. He was replaced by Milton H. Freeman who also died before the project was completed. Ole Singstad, the final chief engineer, saw the tunnel to its completion. The tunnel was installed with 3.1 million ceiling tiles and 2.9 million wall tiles.^[3]

The Holland Tunnel officially opened at the stroke of midnight on November 13, 1927. A minute later, a shipment truck passed through the tunnel as the first non-official vehicle to do so.

[edit] Equipment Used

• Hydraulic shovel

[edit] Refurbishment/Recent Projects/Renovations

In the 1970s, a toll plaza of nine lanes was installed.

A total of 84 ventilation fans were replaced at a cost of $19 million; a new $26 million motorist information system was built; traffic control devices on the westbound 14th street entrance, costing $19 million, were installed.

[edit] Unique Facts

• A total of 13 workers died during construction.
• On the first official day of opening, more than 52,000 vehicles passed through the new tunnel.
• On May 13, 1949, a fire was ignited by a chemical truck containing 80 drums of carbon disulfide on the New Jersey side. Walls and ceiling as far as 600 feet (183 m) were damaged in the accident. The total cost of the damage was $1 million. While no one died, 66 people were injured.
• Another fire threatened the tunnel on March 25, 2002. It burned at a nearby warehouse building, forcing port officials close the tunnel for several days.
• The Holland Tunnel was closed to traffic for one month following 9/11. The tunnel was only open to emergency vehicles. In October 2001, when the restriction was lifted, trucks were still not permitted to access the tunnel for some time. This restriction for trucks was eventually lifted.^[4]
• The Holland Tunnel was awarded the National Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1984.
• When the tunnel opened for traffic, the price of the toll was 50 cents.^[5]

[edit] References

1. ↑ Holland Tunnel: Historic Overview. NYCRoads.com, 2008-09-25.
2. ↑ PBS. Wonders of the Wold databank: Holland Tunnel. Building Big, 2008-09-25.
3. ↑ http://www.lowermanhattan.info/about/history/did_you_know/did_you_know_that_31780.aspx
4. ↑ Holland Tunnel: Historic Overview. NYCRoads.com, 2008-09-25.
5. ↑ PBS. Wonders of the Wold databank: Holland Tunnel. Building Big, 2008-09-25.