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Adding short description: "Disused vehicular tunnels in New York City" |
Epicgenius (talk | contribs) m Disambiguated: Washington Bridge (changed to Washington Bridge (Harlem River)) |
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The tunnels were built to carry traffic between the east side of Upper Manhattan and the [[George Washington Bridge]] (which opened in 1931) on the west side.<ref>{{cite news |title=Two Governors Open Great Hudson Bridge As Throngs Look On |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1931/10/25/archives/two-governors-open-great-hudson-bridge-as-throngs-look-on-5000.html |work=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331 |date=October 25, 1931 |access-date=March 6, 2010}}</ref> Originally, only the 178th Street Tunnel was built, consisting of a {{convert|2400|ft|m|adj=mid|-long}} tube with a width of {{convert|22|ft}} and a clearance of {{convert|13.5|ft}}. It carried traffic to and from the George Washington Bridge at the western end. The eastern end split into two directions: a ramp to [[Amsterdam Avenue (Manhattan)|Amsterdam Avenue]] on the right and a {{convert|1000|ft|m|adj=mid|-long}} driveway south to the [[Harlem River Drive]] on the left.<ref name="nyt19400626">{{Cite news|date=June 26, 1940|title=Cross-city Tunnel Opens Tomorrow; Manhattan's First East-West Drive Goes Under Heights From Washington Bridge|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1940/06/26/112744136.pdf|page=25|access-date=January 26, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Plans for the 178th Street Tunnel were approved in 1930, and the tunnel was nearly completed by early 1932.<ref>{{Cite news|date=January 24, 1932|title=Tube to Hudson Span to Be Ready in Fall; 2,000-Foot Vehicular Tunnel Under 178th Street Nearly Completed -- For Bridge Traffic Only|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1932/01/24/105771205.pdf|page=23|access-date=January 26, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> However, the opening of the tube was postponed for several years until traffic growth warranted the tunnel's opening, and the Port Authority resumed construction in 1938 for the [[1939 New York World's Fair]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=March 20, 1938|title=Tunnel on Heights Nears Completion; Entire Approach to George Washington Bridge Will Be in Use for the Fair|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1938/03/20/96807053.pdf|page=1|access-date=January 26, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> After delays related to the construction of the Harlem River Drive ramp,<ref>{{Cite news|date=May 27, 1940|title=178th St. Tunnel to Open June 27|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1940/05/27/94832625.pdf|page=16|access-date=January 26, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> the 178th Street Tunnel opened on June 27, 1940, serving both directions of traffic.<ref name="nyt19400626"/> Due to labor shortages and low traffic during World War II, the tunnel was closed in May 1942, reopening in November 1945.<ref>{{Cite news|date=November 10, 1945|title=Uptown Tunnel Reopened; Links George Washington Bridge and Harlem River Drive|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1945/11/10/103602692.pdf|page=13|access-date=January 26, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
While the 179th Street Tunnel had been planned along with its counterpart in 1930, engineers waited until the traffic loads demanded the opening of a new tunnel. By the late 1940s, the 178th Street Tunnel was frequently congested.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Ingraham|first=Joseph C.|date=April 27, 1952|title=Approach to G. Washington Bridge; Tunnel and Interchange Simplify Access From Harlem River Drive|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1952/04/27/93366520.pdf|page=311|access-date=January 26, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Construction began on the 179th Street Tunnel in June 1949. The work involved constructing the Highbridge Interchange, which contained ramps from the 178th Street Tunnel to the Harlem River Drive, Amsterdam Avenue, and the [[Washington Bridge (Harlem River)|Washington Bridge]] across the [[Harlem River]], as well as corresponding ramps from these roads to the 179th Street Tunnel.<ref>{{Cite news|date=June 10, 1949|title=Widening to Start on Harlem Bridge; $736,996 Contract Let by State for Washington Span, Link in Cross Bronx Expressway|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1949/06/10/84215606.pdf|page=29|access-date=January 26, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The ramp from the 178th Street Tunnel to Harlem River Drive, which had been completed only a decade prior, was demolished in 1950.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/1114042989|title=Washington Heights Car Viaduct Is Being Razed for Interchange|work=New York Herald Tribune|date=August 10, 1950|access-date=January 28, 2021|via=ProQuest|url-access=subscription|page=21}}</ref> The 179th Street Tunnel cost $9 million and the Highbridge Interchange cost $4.6 million. Both projects opened on May 5, 1952. At that time, the 178th Street Tunnel was reconfigured to serve eastbound traffic only, while the 179th served the westbound.<ref>{{Cite news|date=May 4, 1952|title=Two Traffic Aids to Open Tomorrow; Tunnel Under 179th Street and Highbridge Interchange Will End Bottlenecks|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1952/05/04/93368200.pdf|page=86|access-date=January 26, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The two tunnels had a similar display, with a stone arch for portals and "Whitestone" light posts.<ref name="highbridge">{{cite book|title=George Washington Bridge Approach and Highbridge Expressway Interchange|publisher=The Port of New York Authority, New York State Department of Public Works and New York City Construction Coordinator|year=1952}}</ref>
After the end of [[World War II]], New York public works baron [[Robert Moses]] started work on a bypass in Manhattan of the Washington Heights area to serve the George Washington Bridge. The traffic for the George Washington Bridge began to overwhelm the twin two-lane tunnels. In addition, the ventilation system was inadequate, and needed replacing. The plans for the Trans-Manhattan Expressway were conceived in 1955<ref name="study1955">{{cite book|title=Joint Study of Arterial Facilities|publisher=The Port of New York Authority-Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority|year=1955}}</ref> and seven years later, the new expressway opened to traffic.<ref name="news1962">{{cite news |title=Lower Deck of George Washington Bridge Is Opened |first=Joseph C. |last=Ingraham |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1962/08/30/archives/lower-deck-of-george-washington-bridge-is-opened-new-deck-opens-on.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=August 30, 1962 |page=1 |accessdate=April 4, 2010}}</ref> Following the closures, the entranceway of the 178th Street Tunnel was used as a secondary emergency equipment garage for the George Washington Bridge but later removed. The two tunnels are currently being used as storage space.
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