Freeway across Manhattan

Mark Smigel

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Mar 25, 2003, 12:56:02 PM3/25/03

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Is it time to bring a modern, 8-lane expressway directly across
Manhattan to allow a fast transit from New Jersey to Long
Island, without the time-consuming detour through Staten Island?

If so, what Manhattan street should make way for the new
freeway? How much would something like this cost? How about
a "Big Dig" under Manhattan?

MJ

Steven M. O'Neill

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Mar 25, 2003, 1:37:01 PM3/25/03

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Mark Smigel <mjsm...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>Is it time to bring a modern, 8-lane expressway directly across
>Manhattan to allow a fast transit from New Jersey to Long
>Island, without the time-consuming detour through Staten Island?

Take the Tri-boro.
--
Steven O'Neill ste...@panix.com
www.bridgetolls.org

Michael G. Koerner

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Mar 25, 2003, 2:09:03 PM3/25/03

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You'ld have to tunnel under the entire island. I have on several
occassions suggested a deep-bored tunnel roughly connecting the NJTP
(near exit 16E) with the Long Island Expressway (I-495) near the
Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (I-278) interchange, with the existing
Lincoln and Midtown tunnels essentially becoming the equivelant of '3di'
spurs (perhaps actually numbered as such, ie 'I-795' for the Lincoln
Tunnel and 'I-995' for the Midtown Tunnel) to and from Manhattan itself.

Would it be expensive? Certainly. OTOH, it would also make it far
easier to get between Long Island (including Brooklyn and Queens in NYC)
and the rest of the USA to the west and south, making its necessarily
steep toll (+/- $15-20 each way for a car) worth it.

--
___________________________________________ ____ _______________
Regards, | |\ ____
| | | | |\
Michael G. Koerner May they | | | | | | rise again!
Appleton, Wisconsin USA | | | | | |
___________________________________________ | | | | | | _______________

SPUI

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Mar 25, 2003, 9:14:25 PM3/25/03

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We should build tunnels under 178th St and 179th St to connect the GWB to
the Cross Bronx.

--
Dan Moraseski - 15th grade at MIT
http://web.mit.edu/spui/www/ - FL NJ MA route logs and exit lists

gkowal

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Mar 27, 2003, 8:08:20 AM3/27/03

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Mark Smigel wrote:

I'm thinking of three different possibilities:

The original routing of the "Lomex" I-78, which would cut across Lower
Manhattan between the Holland Tunnel and the Williamsburg Bridge,
Probably using some uinderground portion of Canal Street, then cutting
over underground to reach Delancey Street which is quite wide.
The major obstacles might be underground subway lines that would have to
be crossed.

Direct ramps from the Holland Tunnel to the West St, old West Side Hwy,
the traveling South past the WTC site and into the existing tunnel that
comes up omto the Southern portion of the East Side Hwy/FDR. Direct
ramps from that to the Willie B would complete the route.
This would involve least disruption and capital, since it uses mostly
existing roadways.

A completely new underground underwater route from somewhere near I-78
Liberty Park in Jersey City, with ventilator shafts on Governor's
Island, then reaching land again in Brooklyn onto the BQE, maybe with
the modernization of the Gowanus at that point.
This would disrupt existing city roadways the least, but probably cost
the most.

A practical limit has to be placed on tolls, or human nature would limit
the effective utility of any new underground tunnels between the 2
states. For instance If the existing toll is $6 between NJ and Brooklyn,
most drivers would not want to pay $15 or $20 to cross the two rivers,
unless they had to catch a plane or something crucial. Drivers traveling
that route 5 days a week would want to choose the most economic routing,
even if that includes crossing Lower Manhattan on surface streets to
save a few bucks.

George Kowal, KG2KC

Michael G. Koerner

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Mar 27, 2003, 11:37:15 AM3/27/03

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That same arguement raged during the planning and construction of the
original Pennsylvania Turnpike. The Turnpike was wildly successfull.

stog

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Mar 29, 2003, 8:19:19 PM3/29/03

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why bother, terrorists would blow up any tunnels

On 25 Mar 2003 09:56:02 -0800, mjsm...@hotmail.com (Mark Smigel)
wrote:

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mj...@duke.edu

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Mar 29, 2003, 9:56:10 PM3/29/03

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On Sat, 30 Mar 2003, stog wrote:

> why bother, terrorists would blow up any tunnels

then why haven't they tried yet? There is a very big security presence at
tunnels in NYC now, and trucks are stopped in Manhattan or at the toll
plaza and asked to open up before proceeding. The national guard has
guards there too.

RLDean

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Mar 30, 2003, 4:41:54 PM3/30/03

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>On 25 Mar 2003 09:56:02 -0800, mjsm...@hotmail.com (Mark Smigel)
>wrote:

>>Is it time to bring a modern, 8-lane expressway directly across
>>Manhattan to allow a fast transit from New Jersey to Long
>>Island, without the time-consuming detour through Staten Island?
>>
>>If so, what Manhattan street should make way for the new
>>freeway?

For many years I've thought that a workable sollution would be the creation
of two elevated roadways connecting the Lincoln & Queens-Midtown Tunnels. My
idea is that 2 lane express elevated sections could be built using several of
the "minor" cross town streets without destruction of any buildings. I also
thought that this might be a joint project of the Port Authority of NY & NJ and
the Tri-Boro Bridge & Tunnel Authority. I've also thought that some other
Manhattan cross streets could have elevated sections built to facilitate east
west traffic.

Rich Dean