Queens–Midtown Tunnel, Road tunnel between Manhattan and Queens, United States.
The Queens–Midtown Tunnel is a road passage under the East River connecting Manhattan to Queens. Two parallel tubes carry four traffic lanes that move vehicles between these two boroughs.
This tunnel was built in the 1930s with federal funding support during the Great Depression. It was part of efforts to improve transportation connections across New York City.
From 1981 to 2016, elephants from the Ringling Bros circus marched through the tunnel each year to kick off the circus season in New York City. This unusual parade became a curious part of the city's rhythm for several decades.
Passage through requires electronic toll payment using dedicated systems or automatic license plate reading. Have your payment method ready before entering the tunnel to move through smoothly.
The tunnel was engineered with slightly larger interior dimensions compared to similar crossings to accommodate heavier trucks of that era. This extra space was built in to handle the changing vehicles of the time.
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