Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel
The Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel, officially the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel and commonly referred to as the Battery Tunnel or Battery Park Tunnel, is a tolled tunnel in New York City that connects Red Hook in Brooklyn with the Battery in Manhattan. The tunnel consists of twin tubes that each carry two traffic lanes under the mouth of the East River. Although it passes just offshore of Governors Island, the tunnel does not provide vehicular access to the island. With a length of 9,117 feet (2,779 m), it is the longest continuous underwater vehicular tunnel in North America.
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Official name | Hugh L. Carey Tunnel |
| Other name(s) | Battery Tunnel |
| Location | Brooklyn and Manhattan, New York |
| Coordinates | 40.695833°N 74.013611°W |
| Route | I-478 Toll (unsigned) |
| Crosses | East River |
| Operation | |
| Opened | May 25, 1950 |
| Operator | MTA Bridges and Tunnels |
| Traffic | 54,076 (2016) |
| Toll | As of August 6, 2023, $11.19 (Tolls By Mail and non-New York E-ZPass); $6.94 (New York E-ZPass); $9.11 (Mid-Tier NYCSC E-Z Pass) |
| Technical | |
| Length | 9,117 feet (2,779 m) |
| No. of lanes | 4 |
| Tunnel clearance | 12 feet 1 inch (3.68 m) |
| Route map | |
Plans for the Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel date back to the 1920s. Official plans to build the tunnel were submitted in 1930 but were initially not carried out. The New York City Tunnel Authority, created in 1936, was tasked with constructing the tunnel. After unsuccessful attempts to secure federal funds, New York City Parks Commissioner Robert Moses proposed a Brooklyn–Battery Bridge. However, the public opposed the bridge plan, and the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) rejected the plan several times out of concern that the bridge would impede shipping access to the Brooklyn Navy Yard. This prompted city officials to reconsider plans for a tunnel. Construction on the Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel started on October 28, 1940, but its completion was delayed due to World War II-related material shortages. The tunnel officially opened on May 25, 1950.
The Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel is part of the Interstate Highway System, carrying the entirety of the unsigned Interstate 478 (I-478) since 1971. The tunnel originally carried New York State Route 27A (NY 27A) until 1970. In 2012, the tunnel was officially renamed after former New York Governor Hugh Carey. It is operated by MTA Bridges and Tunnels as one of the MTA's nine tolled crossings.