Holland

> STATISTICS
Opened to traffic November 13, 1927
Tunnel
Interesting
Width of each tunnel roadway 20 feet
Operating headroom 12 feet, 6 inches
External diameter of tunnel 29 feet, 6 inches
Maximum depth from mean
high water to roadway 93 feet, 5 inches
Length of tunnel (portal to portal):
North tube
South tube
Number of toll lanes
8,558 feet
8,371 feet
9*
Facts
* All toll lanes are equipped to accept E-ZPass as a form of toll payment.

The Port Authority is committed to the safety and security

of our facilities and the customers who use them. We have
dedicated substantial portions of our capital resources to
security enhancements. These safety measures are similar
to those being taken by all agencies nationwide to thwart
potential terrorists and are constantly updated utilizing
intelligence gathered from the Port Authority Police, state
and local authorities, and various federal agencies.

CONNECTING THE REGION

www.panynj.gov

For the latest construction closures or information, please call

our Customer Connection at (800) 221- 9903. The Customer
Connection is a service of the Tunnels, Bridges & Terminals
Department – Customer Relations Division.
10/04
 The first
Hudson River
vehicular crossing …
the Holland Tunnel is a vital, historical and
highly-valued underwater tunnel that helps
the bistate region thrive. A critical part of
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s
keeping air quality well within established safety limits. This
innovation made the Holland Tunnel the first mechanically-
ventilated underwater vehicular tunnel. The methods used
to design and build it still form the basis for the construction
of many underwater vehicular tunnels throughout the world.

dedication to providing the region with essential

> NATIONAL LANDMARK
connections, the Holland Tunnel is among the In 1984, because of its valuable contribution to tunnel design
many facilities we maintain to help people and construction, the Holland Tunnel was designated a National
Historic Civil and Mechanical Engineering Landmark by the
reach their destinations.
American Society of Civil and Mechanical Engineers. And in
1993, it was designated a National Historic Landmark by the
> DEDICATED ENGINEERING
United States Department of the Interior.
The Holland Tunnel, which connects Canal Street in Manhattan
with 12th and 14th Streets in Jersey City, New Jersey, is considered
> CONTINUING ENHANCEMENTS
an outstanding engineering achievement. As a tribute to this great
The Holland Tunnel has been in service for 77 years, and we are
feat, it bears the name of its first chief engineer, Clifford M. Holland.
constantly making improvements so that it will continue to serve
He and his team surmounted many previously unsolved tunnel
the public well into the future. In November 2003, a direct exit
engineering problems. Unfortunately, Holland died before the
to Varick Street was opened at the Holland Tunnel New York
tunnel’s completion, and his successor, Milton Freeman, died five
Rotary, improving flow to both southbound and eastbound traffic.
months later. The tunnel was finished under the leadership of the
Current projects include the continuing modernization of the
project’s third chief engineer, Ole Singstad.
in-tunnel water supply for fire-fighting equipment and the
rehabilitation of 14th Street, from the Holland Tunnel New Jersey
> GROUNDBREAKING INNOVATION
exit portal west to Jersey Avenue.
One of the most significant challenges was how to ventilate the
1.6-mile tunnel. With the dawn of the automobile age, it was
It is a priority of the Port Authority that the Holland Tunnel,
imperative to find a way to remove potentially dangerous
one of the area’s most revered transportation structures, be a
automobile fumes. Singstad’s solution was to design a circular
reliable and efficient link between New York and New Jersey.
tunnel with an automatic ventilation system. Four ventilation
buildings, two on each side of the Hudson River, house 84
immense fans that provide a change of air every 90 seconds,

< The Holland Tunnel

was designated
a National Historic
Landmark in 1993
and celebrated
its 75 th anniversary
in 2002.
>

Holland Tunnel
Profile