Hugh L. Carey Tunnel Receives Historic Engineering Landmark Designation

By Y.M. Lowy

The Hugh L. Carey Tunnel has officially been recognized as a historic civil engineering landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

A commemorative plaque was installed outside the tunnel’s ventilation building in Lower Manhattan to mark the designation of the tunnel’s importance in New York City’s transportation system and its place in engineering history.

The tunnel, which opened in 1950, stretches 9,117 feet under the East River and was originally known as the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel. It was designed by Chief Engineer Ole Singstad and, at the time of its opening, was the longest continuous underwater vehicular tunnel in the world.

Engineers used advanced construction methods for its time, including cut-and-cover and shield-driven techniques, along with a special dewatering system to help manage groundwater near the Brooklyn side.

Today, the tunnel carries more than 60,000 vehicles every weekday and serves as a major link for drivers, buses, and commuters traveling between Brooklyn, Manhattan, and beyond.

The tunnel now joins other New York landmarks recognized by the ASCE, including the subway system, Grand Central Terminal, and the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge.

The Hugh L. Carey Tunnel remains one of the longest underwater vehicular tunnels in the United States and continues to be a key part of New York’s transportation network more than 70 years after it first opened.