The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-13
WORK ON VEHICULAR1
TUBE TO Be RUSHED
New Tunnel to Jersey Will
Present Many Knotty Prob
lens to Engineers.
VENTILATION NEEDS BIG
Construction May Take From
B to 5 Years-Start to Be
Made at Once.

On behalf OF the New York State
Bridge and Tunnel Commission, which in
cooperation with authorities appointed
by New Jersey. will have charge OF the
construction OF the vehicular tunnel un-
der the Hudson River, II was announced
yesterday that working plans will be
drawn UP and adopted without delay
and as soon as they are ready work will
be started on the tunnel and pushed
with all possible expedition.
Word that Gov. Smith had signed the
Sage-Adler bill appropriating 100000
as the States share toward starting tun-
mel construction was received with great
satisfaction by members of the New
York commission, which includes Nc
Dougall Hawkes.. George B. Dyer, Fl w.
Bloomingdale, Alexander J. Shomberg
and John II. Delaney. The committee is
authorised to enter into all necessary
contracts with q similar commission
which will act for New Jersey. The total
cost OF the tunnel will be 100000. and
1t will be restricted to foot and vehicle
traff1c.
No Delay in Work.
IT was explained by members OF the
commission. however, that persons who
look to see the tunnel in operation
within an unreasonable time will have
to alter their viewpoint, for II will
amount to a work of considerable en-
cheering magnitude. It will be unlike
all river tunnels now In existence In
that 1t will have to be OF much greater
width and interior height than tunnels
built for the use Of trains only, and will
have to be ventilated SO that slow NOV
ing traffic can use il in comfort. Trains
moving rapidly through tunnel create
draushts Of air as they go. The new tun-
mel will have to be self-ventilating. in
the engineering phrase. from end to end.
So far only preliminary or sketch
plans have been drawn UP, and the first
step toward actual tunnel construction
cannot be taken until adequate working
plans have been made and accepted and
are all ready to be put In the hands of
contractors. Much time in the way of
! meetings and conferences will have to
be spent. and many plans examined and
tested before any ANAL plan can be
adopted. The State Engineer sits as an
| ex-ofiicio member Of the New York COM
mission and will have to be satisfied
with the practically of any plan finally
adopted before actual digging can 20
| ahead.
Time of Building an Enigma.
The time in which the tunnel may be
actually constructed can only be predi-
Gated on the time taken to build the
river tunnels already in existence be-
tween Manhattan and the New Jersey
and Long Island shores. although the
diggers OF the new tunnel will have the
advantage of the experience gained by
previous tunnel constructors. The new
tunnel may take three years or 1t may
take five. Everything which can be
learned about the nature OF the river
bed through which 1t will pass has been
considered IN the general project Of
building It. but no one OF course knows
whether or not a series OF bouders or
other difficult rock formation lies in the
path the tunnel will take.
On the Manhattan side the tunnel will
start at Canal street, and as the bed of
the street Is to be excavated for the
New York approach the building COM
mission Is free of one embarrassment
which has had much to do with delay
ing past tunnel construction. The amount
OF private property which will have 10
be condemned and used Is very small.
The purchase of what is necessary can
easily be arranged and deeds to the city
given by the time II IL necessary to be-
gin work on the approach. On the
New Jersey side the whole matter OF
acquiring ground for the tunnel entrance
there has been arranged already.
1t Ia planned to have construction be-
gin simultaneously at each end OF the
route and at one or more places in the
| river. When the t'nnel is finally In
operation New York and New Jersey
will take equal shares in its mainte-
nance and It Is expected that within
twenty years the tolls charged vehicles
using It will have paid for It's construc-