Hugh L. Carey Tunnel celebrates its 70th year
On May 25, the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel reached a milestone birthday, turning 70 years old.
News 12 Staff
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Jun 3, 2020, 11:50 AM
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Updated 1,435 days ago
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On May 25, the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel reached a milestone birthday, turning 70 years old.
The Hugh L. Carey Tunnel is the longest continuous underwater vehicle tunnel in North America, stretching 1.7 miles long.
The tunnel runs under the East River, connecting Lower Manhattan to the Red Hook section of Brooklyn.
According to the MTA, more than 19.4 million vehicles used the tunnel in 2019.
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, the tunnel was flooded with 60 million gallons of seawater, causing emergency repairs.
The tunnel also served as a critical route for emergency vehicles during the 9/11 terrorist attacked. It later served as a path for construction vehicles to get to Ground Zero.
The tunnel is now known for being the starting point of the Tunnel-to-Towers Run, honoring fallen firefighter Stephen Siller who died on Sept. 11.
