<Tr> <Th> Width </Th> <Td> 21.5 feet (6.6 m) </Td> </Tr> <P> The Lincoln Tunnel is an approximately 1.5 - mile - long (2.4 km) tunnel under the Hudson River, consisting of three vehicular tubes . It connects Weehawken, New Jersey, on the west bank of the Hudson River, with Midtown Manhattan in New York City on the eastern bank . An important travel corridor within the New York metropolitan area, it was designed by Norwegian - born civil engineer Ole Singstad and named after U.S. President Abraham Lincoln . </P> <P> The Lincoln Tunnel was originally proposed in the late 1920s and early 1930s as the Midtown Hudson Tunnel . The tubes of the Lincoln Tunnel were constructed in stages between 1934 and 1957, having been delayed due to various reasons . The central tube, which originally lacked sufficient funding due to the Great Depression, started construction in 1934 and opened in 1937 . The northern tube, which started construction in 1936, was delayed due to World War II - related material shortages and was opened in 1945 . Although the original plans for the Lincoln Tunnel called for two tubes, a third tube to the south of the existing tunnels was planned in 1950 due to high traffic demand on the other two tubes . Due to disputes over tunnel approaches, construction on the third tube did not start until 1954, and the third tube opened in 1957 . The Lincoln Tunnel underwent a series of gradual improvements in following decades, including changes to security and tolling methods . </P> <P> The Lincoln Tunnel is one of two automobile tunnels built under the Hudson River, the other being the Holland Tunnel between Jersey City, New Jersey and Lower Manhattan . The Lincoln Tunnel is also one of six tolled crossings in the New York area owned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey . The tolls on each crossing are only collected in the eastbound direction . As of 2016, both directions of the tunnel carry a combined average of 112,995 vehicular crossings every day . The tunnel is part of New Jersey Route 495 on the western half of the river, and the New York State Route 495 on the eastern half of the river, although the latter designation is not signed, and its use is inconsistent in official documents . </P>

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