THE HOLLAND TUNNEL GRAY AND HAGEN 581 



been engineer of desitrus under both Mr. Holland and Iklr. Freeman. 

 Under his direction the Ilolhiml Tuunel hus been completed. 



The Holland Tunnel is located in the vicinity of Canal Street, 

 New York City, because that street is a wide east and west thorough- 

 fare giving direct communication across tiie island of Manhattan. 

 On the east, Canal Street connects with the East liiver bridges and 

 Brooklyn; on the west, with the Hudson River water front, at ap- 

 proximately the center of down-town trailic over the Hudson ferries. 



Its location in Jersey City is at the logical point as nearly opposite 

 Canal Street as is practicable, in order to obtain the shortest tunnel. 

 This point is very near the center of traffic and is advantageously 

 located. It gives direct communication to Jersey City Heights and 

 points beyond by means of the Thirteenth Street viaduct. The water 

 front, with imjx>riant railroad yards, is easily accessible and ade- 

 quate communication is afforded with the low-lying parts of Jersey 

 City and Hoboken through streets which parallel the river. 



The southerly tube for eastbound traffic extends from Provost and 

 Twelfth Streets, Jersey City, under the Erie Railroad yards, the 

 Hudson River, and Canal Street to Varick Street, New York City. 

 The northerly tube for westbound traffic extends from Broome Street 

 midway between Varick and Hudson Streets in New York City, 

 curving to the west to Spring and Hudson Streets and under Hud- 

 son Street and the Hudson River, the Erie, and the Delaware, Lack- 

 awanna and Western Railroad yards to Fourteenth Street at Prevost 

 Street. Jersey City. 



In planning a public undertaking of the magnitude of the Holland 

 Tunnel, consideration had to be given to many features besides those 

 of actual tunneling. The building of the structure itself was a 

 great engineering problem, but many investigations beyond mere 

 technical dasign were required. 



To secure the best location and arrangement of tunnel roadways, 

 a survey of present and future traffic and the influence of the tunnel 

 on the development of adjacent territory was called for, first of all. 

 Traffic conditions had to be considered from many angles, such as 

 capacity, congestion of the tunnel roadway, adequate approaches, 

 congestion in adjoining streets, width of roadway, and the growth 

 and development of vehicular traffic. 



A preliminary forecast of tunnel traffic, based chiefly on the yearly 

 increase in traffic over the Hudson ferries, resulted in an estimate of 

 the number of vehicles that would use the tunnel as follows : 



Number 



1924 (when tunnel was expected to be opened) 5,610,000 



1935 13. 800, 000 



1937 15, 700, 000 



1943 2li, 300, 000 



28095—31 38 



