New York Cheap Car Rentals and The Holland Tunnel

Interesting Facts about the Holland Tunnel

  • The Holland Tunnel was the first underwater vehicular tunnel built in the world
  • The Holland Tunnel was constructed between 1920 and 1927
  • The tunnel was officially opened at midnight on November 13th 1927at a cost of $54 million. President Calvin Coolidge formally opened the tunnel using the same key that had opened the Panama Canal some 12 years earlier
  • The first non-official vehicle to pass through the Holland Tunnel wasn’t a New York cheap car rental – it was actually a delivery truck transporting a shipment of merchandise to a Bloomingdales Department Store in Manhattan!
  • Thirteen workers died during construction on the Holland Tunnel, while many others suffered from a near fatal case of the “bends”
  • In 1984 the Holland Tunnel was named a “National Civil Engineering Landmark” by the American Society of Civil Engineers
  • The tunnel in the Sylvester Stallone movie “Daylight”, although never named, is based on the Holland Tunnel

Spanning the Hudson

Before the Holland Tunnel was officially opened for business in the late 1920’s, the Hudson River ferries had been burdened with the job of transporting some 30 million vehicles each year between the New York Harbor and New Jersey shores. In 1906 a joint coalition was formed between the New Jersey Interstate Bridge and Tunnel Commission, and the New York State Bridge and Tunnel Commission declaring the need for a new mode of vehicular transportation across the Hudson. Initially the commission considered building a bridge across the river for cost reasons, but this plan was abandoned due to shipping and land requirements. Between 1913 and 1920 numerous tunnel design proposals were brought forth but in the end Clifford Milburn Holland was named chief engineer on the project, thanks to his innovative dual-tube design.

“Holing-Through”

Building the Holland Tunnel was a difficult and dangerous task, but in the end it proved to be well worth the sacrifice. Early in 1927 the two construction teams, (which had been working simultaneously from both shorelines), met at the center of the tunnel during a ceremony known as a “hole-through”, completing their grueling seven year dig. Sadly, Mr. Holland never had the chance to witness this extraordinary event, as he died one day before the two sides met, due to apparent exhaustion. The Holland Tunnel was opened later that year becoming an instant automotive success.

The Holland Tunnel Today

Since the Holland Tunnel was opened some 75 years ago over 1.3 billion automobiles and New York cheap car rentals have traveled through the dual-pipes. Over 100,000 vehicles utilize the tunnel everyday, making it one of the most popular and most traveled routes in all of NYC! If you’re interested in visiting the Holland Tunnel in your New York cheap car rental, All Car Rent-A-Car encourages you to plan your trip around the busy rush hours of 7 – 10AM, as traffic is usually very heavy during this time. The current toll for utilizing the Holland Tunnel in your New York cheap car rental is $6, but only for eastbound travelers heading back into Manhattan. There are currently nine toll booths available on the New Jersey side, so please be patient and wait your turn. It is also important to note that car’s pulling trailers will not be allowed through the tunnel as well as trucks with four or more axles.

If the Holland Tunnel is backed up during your New York cheap car rental travels be sure to check out the Lincoln Tunnel or George-Washington Bridge, as both of these pathways will provide you with access to New Jersey. For more information on the Holland Tunnel feel free to check out the Port Authority’s website at www.panynj.gov for more details.

Check out the Yonkers car rental All Car Rent a Car location at 1919 Central Park Ave., Yonkers, NY 10710