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The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Bridges and Tunnels is celebrating a milestone anniversary – the 75th anniversary of the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel. Formerly known as the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel when it opened on May 25, 1950, the tunnel runs under the East River and connects Lower Manhattan to the Red Hook section of Brooklyn. Stretching 1.7 miles long between portals, it is the longest continuous underwater vehicular tunnel in North America. Designed by renowned engineer Ole Singstad, this significant engineering achievement carried more than 22.5 million vehicles in 2024.
“The Hugh L. Carey Tunnel is a key component of the city’s connectivity and a rich part of the city’s history,” said MTA Bridges and Tunnels President Catherine Sheridan. “Over 75 years, the tunnel has served as a vital link between Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn, and we’ll continue to proactively maintain the tunnel to ensure its longevity for future generations.”
Prior to the start of construction, master builder Robert Moses, who presided over the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (now known as MTA Bridges and Tunnels) for more than three decades, had offered a controversial proposal to build a bridge, rather than a tunnel, linking lower Manhattan with Brooklyn, to save time and cost. Many, including then-First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, successfully opposed the idea because it would have required demolition of much of Battery Park and would have visually blocked the lower Manhattan skyline.
Construction on the tunnel was begun by the New York City Tunnel Authority in 1940, with the Triborough Bridge Authority assisting in the building of approach roads and in financing. The job took a decade, partly because of a three-year delay caused by iron and steel shortages during World War II.
On May 25, 1950, New York City Mayor William O’Dwyer cut the ribbon on the west tube of the tunnel in Manhattan. A parade of dignitaries, led by O'Dwyer and Moses, then traveled by motorcade through the tunnel where they were welcomed by a cheering crowd on the Brooklyn side.
Originally named the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, it was renamed in 2012 in honor of the state’s 51st governor, Hugh L. Carey, who served from 1975 to 1982.
During Superstorm Sandy in October 2012, approximately 60 million gallons of seawater flowed into the tunnel, inundating the tubes nearly two-thirds of their length. MTA Bridges and Tunnels quickly pumped out the water and made emergency repairs, and the tunnel was reopened to traffic only two weeks later. Over the next several years, MTA Bridges and Tunnels undertook a huge restoration project, replacing all of the Sandy-damaged tunnel systems, from wall tiles and interior lighting to traffic control signals and pumps. In order to prevent similar damage from a future storm, massive steel flood gates, each weighing more than 20 tons, were installed at the tunnel’s four portals.
As of the completion of MTA Bridges and Tunnels’ 2020-24 Capital Program, the Authority will have invested over $900 million in the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel since the initial 1992 Capital Program.
“Bridges and Tunnels continues to make comprehensive investments to keep the tunnel in a state of good repair, while also improving resiliency and life safety systems,” said MTA Construction & Development Senior Vice President and TBTA Chief Engineer Romolo De Santis. “The upcoming 2025-29 Capital project that will install a fire suppression system in the tunnel, using high pressure water mist to suppress fires and protect the tunnel infrastructure, is a great example of these investments.”
The Hugh L. Carey Tunnel was a critical route for emergency vehicles during the 9/11 terrorist attack, and afterward as construction vehicles bound for Ground Zero made frequent daily crossings. The facility is also the starting point for the annual "Tunnel–to–Towers Run," commemorating the heroism of firefighter Stephen Siller, who died on 9/11 after running through the tunnel on foot in an effort to reach the towers.
- Hugh L. Carey Tunnel Facts:
Average 2024 daily weekday traffic – 63, 638. - The one-way toll charge on Opening Day was 35 cents. The one-way toll in 2025 is $11.19 (or $6.94 with E-ZPass).
- The tunnel converted to cashless tolling on January 4, 2017, and the toll booths were demolished immediately thereafter.
- The tunnel is actually two parallel tubes, 15 feet apart and each 9,117-feet in length from portal to portal.
- Each tube contains two lanes each.
- Four ventilation buildings can provide a complete air exchange in the tunnel every 1.5 minutes.