Lincoln Tunnel Helix

Last updated

Lincoln Tunnel Helix
Lincolntunnel-1955.jpg
Route 495 and the Lincoln Tunnel, as seen in 1955
Coordinates 40°45′55″N74°01′21″W / 40.7652562°N 74.0226380°W / 40.7652562; -74.0226380 (Lincoln Tunnel Helix)
CarriesEllipse sign 495.svg Route 495
Crosses The Palisades Cliff west of the Hudson River
Locale Weehawken, New Jersey
Other name(s)The Helix, Route 495 Helix, the Corkscrew
Owner Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ)
Maintained byPANYNJ
Website www.panynj.gov/bridges-tunnels/en/lincoln-tunnel/helix-replacement-program.html
Characteristics
DesignHelix-shaped spiral bridge
Total length~4,000 feet (1,200 m)
Width21.5 feet (6.6 m)
Height~180 feet (55 m)
Clearance above 13.1 feet (4.0 m)
No. of lanes 7; 3 eastbound, 3 westbound, 1 reversible
Design life82 years
History
Built1937-1938
Opened1938
Statistics
Daily traffic ~105,000 vehicles per day
Toll https://www.panynj.gov/bridges-tunnels/en/tolls.html
Location
Lincoln Tunnel Helix

The Lincoln Tunnel Helix, known commonly as The Helix or the Route 495 Helix, is an elevated spiral bridge freeway that carries New Jersey Route 495 to and from the Lincoln Tunnel in Weehawken, New Jersey. It is an oval-shaped 270-degree [1] loop between the Palisades cliffs and the entrance to the tunnel. [2] The structure, built in 1937, is owned, operated and maintained by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ).

Contents

The Helix and Hudson-Bergen Light Rail bridge Lincoln Helix Harbor Blvd jeh.jpg
The Helix and Hudson–Bergen Light Rail bridge

Description

Birdseye view of the Helix, circa 1991. Lincoln Tunnel Helix 1991 cropped.tif
Birdseye view of the Helix, circa 1991.

Route 495 crosses through the northern part of Hudson County and connects the New Jersey Turnpike/Interstate 95, U.S. Route 1-9, and Route 3 with the Lincoln Tunnel. [3] The Helix was built in order to connect the highway, later designated Route 495, at the top of the Palisades to the portals of the Lincoln Tunnel at the bottom.

Weehawken is located on southern end of the Palisades, where they reach a height of about 180 feet (55 m). [4] The Helix has traditionally been known for offering a panoramic view of the Manhattan skyline. Weehawken has zoning laws prohibiting the construction of mid- or high-rise buildings that would obstruct sightlines from higher points in town, such as from the Helix. [5] [6] [7] Nonetheless, construction of two new residential buildings in 2013 partially blocked the panoramic view. [8] [9]

The Helix is seven lanes wide, with three lanes eastbound (inner loop) and four westbound (outer loop); the innermost lane of the westbound side is the exclusive reversible bus lane, which gives buses a dedicated eastbound lane to the tunnel on most weekday mornings. Pedestrians and bikes are not permitted on the Helix. Trucks over 80 tons are banned from using the Helix or tunnel. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), the owner/operator of the structure, defines the Helix to begin at Route 495 mile mark 1.8, [10] at the eastbound exit for Pleasant Ave. It goes East and makes a turn around the Weehawken High School Stadium (which is built over the tunnel) [11] to the south. It runs about 3,300 feet (1,000 m) south, then makes a quick 180 degrees turn clockwise to the north to touch ground, where the tunnel itself takes a 90 degree turn towards Manhattan to complete the oval. The roadway passes over Boulevard East twice, once at the top of the helix and again towards the bottom. Though no exact number is given, the Helix has a total length of about 4,000 feet (1,200 m) and a width of 21.5 feet (6.6 m). [12]

The Route 495 corridor has been reported by the American Highway Users Alliance to be one of the most congested highways on the United States eastern seaboard. [13] The Helix in particular, being just as busy as the tunnel itself, faces high levels of traffic congestion frequently and may carry up to 120,000 vehicles in one day, with particular traffic during the morning and evening rush hours. The weight limit on the Helix, which varies for vehicles and trucks with different axle counts, is strictly monitored and enforced by the PANYNJ. Generally, the set max weight for any single vehicle is 80,000 lbs, but it is lower for vehicles with fewer axles or different classes. [14]

History

Lincoln Tunnel Helix (left) and Ventilation Towers on the Hudson Palisades Weehawken.HudsonRiver.Palisades.png
Lincoln Tunnel Helix (left) and Ventilation Towers on the Hudson Palisades

When finding a way to build a highway to the Lincoln Tunnel, the Palisades cliffs presented an obstacle. Originally, it was proposed that the highway would cut through the Palisades via an underground tunnel that would go straight to the toll plaza or the tunnel itself; instead the PANYNJ realized this was not feasible and would disrupt much of the cities, so they opted to build the Helix instead, which goes and above the cliffs to make an oval-shaped loop above below roads, including Boulevard East. To make enough room for the toll plaza area and merging lanes into the center or southern tube, the highway has to go about 2,000 feet (610 m) south of the tunnel portal and then make a quick U-turn back to the north to the toll plaza. [15] [16]

When it was originally built in 1937, the Helix had six lanes; it was widened to seven in 1957. From 2012 to 2014 the Helix underwent nightly eastbound closures for extensive repairs. [1] [17]

The Helix, along with the Lincoln Tunnel and all of Route 495, used to be a part of the Interstate Highway System, signed as I-495 [18] (despite not being completely up to Interstate Highway standards). It was intended to connect to the Long Island Expressway, which was also designated I-495. However, a highway between the Lincoln Tunnel to the Queens-Midtown Tunnel (the start of today’s I-495) was cancelled, and left the two portions disconnected. In the 1980s, the NJDOT demoted the highway, Helix, and tunnel to a state highway.[ citation needed ]

In 1991, the tunnel and approach were documented by the Historic American Engineering Record. [19] The Helix, as part of the Lincoln Tunnel Approach, is considered eligible for New Jersey Register of Historic Places for engineering in transportation for architecture and design. [20]

As of 2015, the Helix was considered by the PANYNJ to have a working life-span of ten years. Alternatives to its replacement included tunnels under the Palisades directly to the Lincoln Tunnel portals. [1] [21] In 2012, the roadway of the Helix was repaved, then was fixed up in 2015 in what the Port Authority described as the “Helix Fix.” It is expected to undergo complete rehabilitation starting in 2023 and is expected to be fully refurbished by 2027. [10] [22]

The Helix is featured in the opening credits to each episode of the HBO TV series The Sopranos . The intro shows protagonist Tony Soprano exiting the tunnel, driving onto the Helix looking out towards Manhattan with James Gandolfini’s credit on screen, before transitioning to the turnpike. [23] [24]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Jersey Route 3</span> State highway in New Jersey, US

Route 3 is a state highway in the northeastern part of New Jersey. The route runs 10.84 miles (17.45 km) from U.S. Route 46 (US 46) in Clifton, Passaic County, to US 1/9 in North Bergen, Hudson County. The route intersects many major roads, including US 46, which takes travelers to Interstate 80 (I-80) west for commuting out of the city-area, the Garden State Parkway and Route 21 in Clifton, Route 17 and the Western Spur of the New Jersey Turnpike (I-95) in East Rutherford, the Eastern Spur of the New Jersey Turnpike in Secaucus, and Route 495 in North Bergen, for traffic going to the Lincoln Tunnel into New York City. Route 3 serves as the main artery to the Lincoln Tunnel from I-80, in conjunction with a portion of US 46 and Route 495. Portions of the route are not up to freeway standards; with driveways serving businesses and bus stops. Despite this, many construction projects have been underway over the years to alleviate this issue. Route 3 also provided access to Hoffmann La Roche's former American headquarters in Nutley, the Meadowlands Sports Complex and American Dream Meadowlands in East Rutherford. The road inspired a story in The New Yorker in 2004 by Ian Frazier due to its views of the Manhattan skyline. Route 3 was originally the Lincoln Tunnel Approach and ended at the state line in the Hudson River, though it was scaled back following the construction of I-495; which is now Route 495 due to also not meeting interstate highway standards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Jersey Route 495</span> State highway in Hudson County, New Jersey

Route 495 is a 3.45-mile-long (5.55 km) state highway in Hudson County, New Jersey, in the United States that connects the New Jersey Turnpike at exits 16E-17 in Secaucus to New York State Route 495 (NY 495) inside the Lincoln Tunnel in Weehawken, providing access to Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The road is owned and operated by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) between the New Jersey Turnpike and Route 3, the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) between Route 3 and Park Avenue near the Union City–Weehawken border, and by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) east of Park Avenue, including the helix used to descend the New Jersey Palisades to reach the entrance of the Lincoln Tunnel. Route 495 is mostly a six-lane freeway with a reversible bus lane used during the morning rush hour. The bus lane, which runs the entire length of the freeway, continues into the Lincoln Tunnel's center tube.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weehawken, New Jersey</span> Township in Hudson County, New Jersey, US

Weehawken is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located on the Hudson Waterfront and Hudson Palisades overlooking the Hudson River. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 17,197, an increase of 4,643 (+37.0%) from the 2010 census count of 12,554, which in turn reflected a decline of 947 (−7.0%) from the 13,501 counted in the 2000 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincoln Tunnel</span> Tunnel between New Jersey and New York

The Lincoln Tunnel is an approximately 1.5-mile-long (2.4 km) tunnel under the Hudson River, connecting Weehawken, New Jersey, to the west with Midtown Manhattan in New York City to the east. It carries New Jersey Route 495 on the New Jersey side and unsigned New York State Route 495 on the New York side. It was designed by Ole Singstad and named after Abraham Lincoln. The tunnel consists of three vehicular tubes of varying lengths, with two traffic lanes in each tube. The center tube contains reversible lanes, while the northern and southern tubes exclusively carry westbound and eastbound traffic, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holland Tunnel</span> Tunnel between New Jersey and New York

The Holland Tunnel is a vehicular tunnel under the Hudson River that connects Hudson Square and Lower Manhattan in New York City in the east to Jersey City, New Jersey in the west. The tunnel is operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and carries Interstate 78. The New Jersey side of the tunnel is the eastern terminus of New Jersey Route 139. The Holland Tunnel is one of three vehicular crossings between Manhattan and New Jersey; the two others are the Lincoln Tunnel and George Washington Bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Jersey Route 139</span> State highway in Hudson County, New Jersey, US

Route 139 is a state highway in Jersey City, New Jersey in the United States that heads east from the Pulaski Skyway over Tonnele Circle to the state line with New Jersey and New York in the Holland Tunnel, which is under the Hudson River, to New York City. The western portion of the route is a two-level highway that is charted by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) as two separate roadways: The 1.45-mile (2.33 km) lower roadway (Route 139) between U.S. Route 1/9 (US 1/9) over Tonnele Circle and Interstate 78 (I-78) at Jersey Avenue, and the 0.83-mile (1.34 km) upper roadway running from County Route 501 and ending where it joins the lower highway as part of the 12th Street Viaduct, which ends at Jersey Avenue. The lower roadway is listed on the federal and NJ state registers of historic places since 2005. The eastern 1.32 miles (2.12 km) of the route includes the Holland Tunnel approach that runs concurrent with Interstate 78 on the one-way pair of 12th Street eastbound and 14th Street westbound. Including the concurrency, the total length of Route 139 is 2.77 miles (4.46 km).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port Authority Bus Terminal</span> Bus station in Manhattan, New York

The Port Authority Bus Terminal is a bus terminal located in Manhattan in New York City. It is the busiest bus terminal in the world by volume of traffic, serving about 8,000 buses and 225,000 people on an average weekday and more than 65 million people a year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of Jersey City, New Jersey-area railroads</span>

For the purposes of this article, the Jersey City area extends North to Edgewater, South to Bayonne and includes Kearny Junction and Harrison but not Newark. Many routes east of Newark are listed here.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincoln Harbor station</span> Hudson–Bergen Light Rail station in Weehawken, New Jersey

Lincoln Harbor is a station on the Hudson–Bergen Light Rail (HBLR) located at Waterfront Terrace, north of 19th Street, in Weehawken, New Jersey. The station opened on September 7, 2004. There are two tracks and an island platform.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Jersey Route 85</span> Proposed state highway in New Jersey, US

Route 85, also known as the Hoboken Freeway, was a proposed 7.60-mile-long (12.23 km) limited-access highway in Hudson County and Bergen County, New Jersey. The freeway was planned to begin at an interchange with Interstate 78 near the Holland Tunnel approach in Jersey City, northward through North Bergen on its way to Fort Lee, where the highway would interchange with then-Interstate 80 near the George Washington Bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weehawken Terminal</span> Former intermodal terminal in Weehawken, New Jersey

Weehawken Terminal was the waterfront intermodal terminal on the North River in Weehawken, New Jersey for the New York Central Railroad's West Shore Railroad division, whose route traveled along the west shore of the Hudson River. It opened in 1884 and closed in 1959. The complex contained five ferry slips, sixteen passenger train tracks, car float facilities, and extensive yards. The facility was also used by the New York, Ontario and Western Railway. The terminal was one of five passenger railroad terminals that lined the Hudson Waterfront during the 19th and 20th centuries; the others were located at Hoboken, Pavonia, Exchange Place and Communipaw, with Hoboken being the only one still in use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hudson Waterfront</span> Place in Hudson and Bergen

The Hudson Waterfront is an urban area of northeastern New Jersey along the lower reaches of the Hudson River, the Upper New York Bay and the Kill van Kull. Though the term can specifically mean the shoreline, it is often used to mean the contiguous urban area between the Bayonne Bridge and the George Washington Bridge that is approximately 19 miles (31 km) long. Historically, the region has been known as Bergen Neck, the lower peninsula, and Bergen Hill, lower Hudson Palisades. It has sometimes been called the Gold Coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pershing Road (Weehawken)</span> Road ascending the Hudson Palisades in Weehawken, New Jersey

Pershing Road is a road located entirely in Weehawken, New Jersey that travels for 0.42 miles (0.68 km) on the Hudson Palisades between Boulevard East and Weehawken Port Imperial, and carries the designation Hudson County Route 682. At County Route 505, the road meets 48th Street, one of the very few two-way streets in the urban grid of North Hudson, which travels west to Bergenline Avenue and Kennedy Boulevard. It is named for World War I hero John J. Pershing. Earlier names have included Clifton Road, named for the estate on whose land it was located, and Hillside Road, which would speak to its location.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shippen Street (Weehawken)</span>

Shippen Street is an east-west street in Weehawken, New Jersey. The eastern terminal, a cobblestone double hairpin turn is listed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places. Shippen Street was developed at the start of the 20th century as part of the Weehawken Heights, one of the town's residential neighborhoods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boulevard East</span> County road in New Jersey, U.S.

Boulevard East is a two-way, mostly two lane, scenic county road in the North Hudson, New Jersey municipalities of Weehawken, West New York, Guttenberg and North Bergen. Apart from small sections at either end, the road runs along the crest of the Hudson Palisades, affording it views of the Hudson River and the New York City skyline. Developed at the turn of the 20th century, the residential road is characterized by an eclectic mix of 20th-century architecture, including private homes as well as mid and high-rise apartment buildings, mostly on its western side, with a promenade and parks along its eastern side. It is also the setting for Edward Hopper's 1934 painting East Wind Over Weehawken, which is considered one of his best works.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Washington Bridge Plaza</span> Toll plaza in Fort Lee, New Jersey, US

The George Washington Bridge Plaza, also known as GWB Plaza or Bridge Plaza, is the convergence of roads and highways around the George Washington Bridge toll plaza in Fort Lee, New Jersey, United States. The plaza is located north of and parallel to Fort Lee's Main Street. The surrounding busy area is characterized by a mix of commercial and residential uses and an architectural variety that includes parking lots, strip malls, houses, gas stations, mid-rise office buildings and high-rise condominiums. Just to the east is Fort Lee Historic Park, Palisades Interstate Park and the bridge's western tower.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palisade Avenue (Hudson Palisades)</span>

Palisade Avenue is the name given to a historic road which parallels the eastern crest of Hudson Palisades in northeastern New Jersey. It travels between Jersey City and Fort Lee, passing through Jersey City Heights, North Hudson, and Cliffside Park, with various parts carrying Hudson and Bergen county route designations. The avenue re-aligns itself at several places along its route as it crosses traditional municipal boundaries created in the 19th century. As a primary route running along the top of the Hudson Palisades, many segments offer scenic views of the Hudson River and the New York skyline. Since 2020 there is proposed state legislation to restrict building heights that would rise above the cliffs on the eastern side of Palisade Avenue along the entire corridor from Jersey City to Fort Lee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port Imperial</span> Intermodal transit hub in Weehawken, New Jersey, US

Port Imperial is a community centered around an intermodal transit hub on the Weehawken, New Jersey, waterfront of the Hudson River across from Midtown Manhattan, served by New York Waterway ferries and buses, Hudson–Bergen Light Rail, and NJT buses. The district lies under and at the foot of Pershing Road, a thoroughfare traveling along the face of the Hudson Palisades, which rise to its west. The Hudson River Waterfront Walkway runs along the shoreline and is abutted by recently constructed residential neighborhoods, Lincoln Harbor to the south and Bulls Ferry to the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bus rapid transit in New Jersey</span>

Bus rapid transit in New Jersey comprises limited-stop bus service, exclusive bus lanes (XBL) and bus bypass shoulders (BBS). Under the banner Next Generation Bus New Jersey Transit (NJT), the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), and the metropolitan planning organizations of New Jersey (MPO) which recommend and authorize transportation projects are undertaking the creation of several additional bus rapid transit systems (BRT) in the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincoln Tunnel Expressway</span>

The Lincoln Tunnel Expressway is an eight block-long, mostly four-lane, north–south divided highway between the portals of the Lincoln Tunnel and West 31st Street in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Dyer Avenue is an at-grade roadway paralleling part of the mostly depressed roadway and serves traffic entering and leaving the highway and the tubes of the tunnel. Like the tunnel, the roads are owned and operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. They traverse the Manhattan neighborhoods of Hell's Kitchen and Chelsea between Ninth and Tenth avenues. The highway serves as the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel from Manhattan, with the entrance from Weehawken, New Jersey being the Lincoln Tunnel Helix.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Strunsky, Steve (September 26, 2015). "Tunnels could replace Lincoln Tunnel helix". NJ.com. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  2. "Lincoln Tunnel Helix". SIMCO Engineering, P.C. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  3. New Jersey Department of Transportation (June 2014). "Route 495 Straight Line Diagram" (PDF). state.nj.us. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  4. Capuzzo, Jill P. (January 11, 2017). "Weehawken, N.J.: A Cliffside Town With an Easy Commute". The New York Times.
  5. Romano, Jay (December 30, 1990). "Weehawken Journal: Group Fights to Keep 'Magical' Skyline View". The New York Times.
  6. McFadden, Robert D. (March 20, 1999). "Weehawken's Panoramic Skyline View Wins Protection". The New York Times.
  7. Strunsky, Steve (August 13, 2000). "THE CITIES; The Blurred View From Weehawken". The New York Times.
  8. Frassinelli, Mike (June 24, 2013). "Construction Alters View of Manhattan Skyline for 'Helix' Commuters". The Star-Ledger . Newark, NJ. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
  9. Carr, David (May 31, 2014). "View, Interrupted: The Spoiling of Manhattan's Skyline". The New York Times. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  10. 1 2 "Lincoln Tunnel Helix Replacement Program". Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  11. LivingOof (April 5, 2020). "Supposed I haven't seen this one yet, but here's Weehawken Stadium in Weehawken, NJ. 299ft to left, about 405 to the Left-Center wall, only 286 to the right pole, and it's built on top of the Lincoln Tunnel". r/baseball. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  12. "40°45'53.3"N 74°01'24.9"W". 40°45'53.3"N 74°01'24.9"W. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  13. McGeehan, Patrick (June 5, 2018). "For New Jersey Commuters, a Sequel to the 'Summer of Hell'". The New York Times. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  14. "Traffic Rules and Regulations" (PDF). Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  15. Ray, Esha (July 23, 2012). "Lincoln Tunnel Helix Gets a Makeover". MetroFocus. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  16. "J. C. Evans Dead; Traffic Engineer". The New York Times. September 11, 1965. p. 27. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  17. "New York-bound Lincoln Tunnel helix in Weehawken will be closed overnight for a year". The Jersey Journal. August 1, 2012. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  18. "Field Trip - Lincoln Tunnel". www.fieldtripper.com. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  19. "Lincoln Tunnel, Under Hudson River from New Jersey to West Thirty-ninth Street, New York City, New York County, NY". Library of Congress Historic American Engineering Record. 1991. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  20. "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places" (PDF). New Jersey Historic Preservation Office. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 5, 2010.
  21. Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (September 24, 2015). "Lincoln Tunnel Helix Replacement Program Phase II Planning" (PDF). Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 28, 2015. Retrieved September 27, 2015.
  22. "FY 2018-2027 NJ Statewide Transportation Improvement Program - Port Authority Bridges and Tunnels" (PDF). state.nj.us. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  23. The Sopranos Opening Credits Theme Song. HBO. Retrieved August 20, 2023 via YouTube.
  24. Ugoku. "The Sopranos location guide - Lincoln Tunnel Helix". www.sopranos-locations.com. Retrieved August 20, 2023.