- published: 28 Mar 2016
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The Lincoln Tunnel is a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) long tunnel under the Hudson River, connecting Weehawken, New Jersey and the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It was designed by Ole Singstad, and named after U.S. President Abraham Lincoln.
The tunnel was originally to be named the Midtown Vehicular Tunnel, but the planners eventually decided that the new tunnel deserved a name that was of parallel importance to that of George Washington Bridge, and named it after Abraham Lincoln.
Designed by Ole Singstad, the tunnel was funded by the New Deal's Public Works Administration. Construction began on the first tube in March 1934. It opened to traffic on December 22, 1937, charging $0.50 per passenger car. The cost of construction was $85,000,000.
The original design called for two tubes. Work on the second was halted in 1938 but resumed in 1941. Due to war material shortages of metal, completion was delayed for two years. It opened on February 1, 1945 at a cost of $80 million, with Michael Catan, brother of Omero Catan (known as Mr. First, attending over 526 opening day events), selected to be the first to lead the public through the tube.