The Lincoln Tunnel, the world's first three-tube underwater vehicular tunnel facility, provides a vital link between midtown Manhattan and central New Jersey, and forms part of New Jersey Route 495.

In New Jersey, this highway connects the tunnel with U.S. Routes 1 and 9, 3 and the New Jersey Turnpike. The Lincoln Tunnel Expressway and Dyer Avenue in Manhattan connect the tunnel and local city streets from West 42nd Street south to West 30th Street.

The tunnel's three tubes provide important flexibility in traffic handling. With the ability to change the six lanes to four lanes in one direction or three lanes in each direction by converting the center tube to a two way operation.

During the weekday morning peak period (between 6:00 am and 10:00 am) the Port Authority operates a 2.5 mile exclusive bus lane (XBL). Utilizing the XBL, commuter buses get a direct route to the tunnel avoiding regular rush hour traffic and significantly reducing travel time.

The XBL is one of the three westbound lanes converted to the eastbound direction when necessary. It runs from the New Jersey Turnpike to the Lincoln Tunnel in one of the normally westbound lanes of New Jersey route 495. This significantly reduces bus commuters' travel time.

Direct ramps connecting the Lincoln Tunnel with the Port Authority Bus Terminal facilitates the handling of commuter buses and reduces traffic congestion on Manhattan streets around the terminal. The ramps provide direct access for automobiles to the three-level roof parking.

Customer Connection Hotline: 800-221-9903

From New Jersey

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Please note permanent restrictions-
Kennedy Boulevard: No trucks, local deliveries only.
No trucks in center tube.

From New York

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Time of day restrictions-
Weekdays, 4 p.m. until 7 p.m.
The entrances at West 39th Street between 10th & 11th Avenues, West 33rd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues, are closed to traffic. In addition, no right turns are permitted (except for buses) from 9th Avenue at West 41 Street, and no left turns are permitted (except for buses) from 10th Avenue at West 41st Street.

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Width of each tunnel roadway 21 feet 6 inches
Operating headroom 13 feet
External diameter of tunnel 31 feet
Maximum depth from mean high water to roadway 97 feet
Length of tunnel:
North tube 7,482 feet
Center tube 8,216 feet
South tube 8,006 feet
Opened to traffic: North tube Feb. 1, 1945
Center tube Dec. 22, 1937
South tube May 25,1957
Number of Toll Lanes 13
Cost of Original Structure $75,000,000
PA investment as of December 31, 2008: $888,957,000

2008 Traffic Volumes
Total Eastbound Traffic: 20,937,000 vehicles
Total Traffic (Both Directions): 41,874,000 vehicles

Click here to download the Lincoln Tunnel fact card (PDF).
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