The article has been automatically translated into English by Google Translate from Russian and has not been edited.
Переклад цього матеріалу українською мовою з російської було автоматично здійснено сервісом Google Translate, без подальшого редагування тексту.
Bu məqalə Google Translate servisi vasitəsi ilə avtomatik olaraq rus dilindən azərbaycan dilinə tərcümə olunmuşdur. Bundan sonra mətn redaktə edilməmişdir.

One of the country's strategic sites: what you didn't know about the tunnel between New York and New Jersey

'29.10.2021'

Nurgul Sultanova-Chetin

Subscribe to ForumDaily NewYork on Google News

First opened to traffic in 1937, the Lincoln Tunnel, connecting Weehawken, New Jersey, and central Manhattan, was once considered an engineering triumph. This important transport artery of the region keeps a lot of funny and scary secrets, about which many even have no idea. Untapped Cities.

It became the first mechanically ventilated underwater vehicle tunnel built under the Hudson River. Two more similar tunnels were built shortly after. To this day, these three structures serve hundreds of thousands of cars and buses entering and exiting New York City.

The tunnel is one of the busiest roads in the country

The numbers are stunning: the tunnel is 2,5 km long and runs at a depth of 29 meters under water. Its construction cost about $ 1,5 billion, inflation-adjusted. On average, more than 120 vehicles pass through it every day. This makes it one of the busiest highways in the country. On a separate bus lane of the tunnel, about 000 buses pass every morning. They mainly carry 1700 passengers to the bus station on 62nd Street.

Pioneer

Omero Catan known throughout New York history as Mr. First. He earned his nickname for being the first to discover many of New York's famous locations. He was the first to cross the George Washington Bridge when it opened in 1931.

Omero was the first to use the 8th Avenue subway, when it opened, the first to ride on ice skating at Rockefeller Plaza in 1936. He first drove a convoy through the newly opened Lincoln Tunnel in 1937, parked outside the Weehawken entrance at 22:00 p.m. the previous day to ensure he was the first in the convoy. Years later, his brother Michael became the first to drive the second line of the tunnel in 1945.

New Hudson River Current Threatens Tunnel Wall Erosion

The Hudson River flow has historically concentrated near Lower Manhattan. Battery Park City Construction, which abuts against the river, redirected part of the current. Now the most active current is located closer to the center of the river and erodes most of the soil covering the walls and ceiling of the Lincoln Tunnel. As of 2009, some sections of the tunnel walls have reduced soil cover by about 25%. This made them much more prone to displacement or cracking in the coming years (oops!).

Pedestrians are sometimes allowed to walk through the tunnel.

The city hosts several events during which the Lincoln Tunnel is closed to cars. The annual Lincoln Tunnel Challenge is one of them. The run through the tunnel covers 5 kilometers - from Weehawken to New York, and then back. Over the past few years, up to 3000 runners have taken part in the competition. Participants raise funds for the New Jersey Special Olympics project.

The police used wall-mounted cars (catwalk car) for motion tracking

Believe it or not, in the 1950s, MTA officials used wall-mounted vehicles to monitor tunnel traffic. Did you think that the railings on the walls of the tunnel were just for show?

The tunnel is considered one of the most dangerous potential terrorist targets in the United States.

The Lincoln and Holland Tunnels are considered the most dangerous targets for a possible terrorist attack after the World Trade Center. Their limited space and location under hundreds of tons of concrete, mud and sea water made them ideal for a terrorist attack.

To this day, all vehicles passing through both ends of the tunnel are closely monitored.

One day elephants walked through the tunnel

On May 17, 1971, as a result of a strike of railway workers, the artists and animals from "The Greatest Show on Earth" were stuck about 8 km from Madison Square Garden, where they were supposed to perform that evening. Most of the participants drove the rest of the way through the tunnel in trucks. But a column of 19 elephants, zebras, llamas and ponies entered New York through the Lincoln Tunnel on their feet. Animal trainers took the animals eight blocks down 8th Avenue to Madison Square Garden on 34th Street.

Tunnel construction was incredible for any sane person.

Building a 2,5-kilometer tunnel, large enough for two-lane traffic under the riverbed, was a daunting task; the process itself is exhausting. To support the excavated working cavities, they installed a series of 21-ton iron rings in the walls. Those who dug tunnels were called sandpits. They had to use a series of airlocks to relieve and re-pressurize as they entered a new section of the tunnel. In the absence of ventilation, the air in each pressurized section quickly stagnated and became unsuitable for breathing.

Subscribe to ForumDaily NewYork on Google News
WP2Social Auto Publish Powered By: XYZScripts.com