____THE BROOKLYN BATTERY TUNNEL—STILL THE LONGEST VEHICULAR TUNNEL{VER BUILT IN NORTH AMERIG! Article by John Mes TT's BROOKLYN'S Most invisible landmark, but tha’ what great, Ie docs inspite poetry or songs, like its above-water neighbor, the Brooklyn Bridge, but the 9,117-foot-long Brookly-Battery Tunnel get he job done, mov- ing an average of 60,000 cars a day—1956 milion 1 year—in and out of the borough The longest vehi Jar tunnel in Norch ‘America, the Brookiya- Battery Tunnel i eon February + March 200 twolled from an unas suming tan brik. Metropolitan Trans Authosiy (MTA) build ing nex to the tll plaza av the comer of Browne and Columbia sects Edward Wellace, 45, the tunnels general manag: tens the operation fiom a modes second: floor office with a view ‘of the tunnel entrance The vista is noching dramatic, just che open ing of ewo eye shaped arteries. You mighe think Wallace would want a BRooKLYN pripge 81more glamorous post—or at least one with a better view— ‘bu che tunnels close to his Incr. "Ie truly grea place ro work sys Wallace. "To go down to the deepest areas in the tunnel near Governors Isnd and know thar youte sinty-cight let below bedrock its amazing,” ‘Theres a certain pride taken by the engincer,admin- iataors and workers who build and operate cannes Bridges are everywhere, an ‘over, unavoidable presence. But tunnels are the hidden workhores ofa eransporation gid—disrete,eficiene and cay to maintain ‘The Brookiyn-Batery Tunnel ens 50 years old on May 25, les parcculay fixing, in keeping with che runnels modes, unoberusive nature, that the cicy as no plans to celebrate the anniversary FIRST WORLD ‘War, fewer than 20,000 vehicles a day wer crossing the rve via the Brooklyn, Williamsburg and Queensboro bridges, which were ll bule before 1910. By 1929, trafic over the East River had increased sevenfold, and the need for another Eat River connection between Brooklyn and Manhattan was acute {A Brooklyn-co-Battery crossing was sen asthe piv ‘otal ink in the planned ‘ransportation necwork con- necting Brooklyn and Long Island to Manhatean’s west side, By 1927, Robert Moses, the powerful parks commis: sonst and Triborough Bridge Authority (TBA) chairman, hnad already begun his “circumferential” highway systom—a bypass route around the city for traffic from both Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn heading for Long Island and upstate. Mayor Fiorello La Gusrdia needed to rise $105 zillion co build the eunnel and complete two transports sion links essential eo han- ding the tunnel tfc flow-—the Gowanus [Expressway and Bele Parkway. The federal governments Reccnsteuction Finance Corporation provided only aboct half the amount, and the “anst Authority could only contribute $39 million. La Guardia was more than $10 million shore In desperation, La Guardia turned to Moses, whoie TBA had amassed a hefy surplus from tolls on the recently completed “Tiborough Bridge. Moses offered to channel $22 mil. lion ino the tunnel’ com ssruction in exchange for con- two of che Tunnel Authority 1a Guardia was reluctant to give Moses more power, bout she two men arrived ata tentative agreement, But shorly after the deal was brokered, Moses submitted a consruction proposal ro La Guardia—a six-lane bridge instead ofa tunnel. Moses prefered bridges to cunnels, which he once refered ro as “tiled, vehicular bathrooms smeling of monoxide.” Fares, he claimed that @ bridge “would cost half as ‘much to build, one third as 82 BROOKLYN BRIDGE February-March 2000srt OT uaa semua Se Cra ona ant 2 ‘Soren! much to maintain, accom modace twice the traffic, and be done in half che time as atunnel.” Within a week ofthe Mosc’ announcement, the island financial aristocracy othe city united against him ina conflict dabbed the Battle ofthe Batery.” A span fom Battery Pak vo South Brooklyn would tower over the backyards ofthe city's elite; ie would sully the Manhattan skyline view cher- lished by residents of Brooklyn teighes and hur the property values of lower-Manbatan office buildings. Stanley Istacs, Manhattan borough president, led the ant-bridge forces at « heated city council meeting n early 1939 to decide the fue of the project. "Very possibly it the Lower Manhattan sklin] is the one craton of man which can sand comparison with the reac natural beauties of the mountain ranges and river valleys. This inheritance ‘of ours should not be dese- crated,” Isacs argued, but to no avail The $41 million bridge proposal won approval bya council vote of 19-6 Construction approval by the War Department was the only formality lft before Moses broke ground on his ‘ridge. In desperation, leaders ‘of the ani-bridge contingent made a last-ditch plea to Eleanor Roosevelt, wino weore column forthe New York Herald Tribune cased "My Day." “I havent a question that his (bridge will be done inthe name of progress, and something undoubtedly needs to be done. But ist there room for some consideration ‘ofthe preservation of che few beautiful spos that still ‘crowded island?” she wrote on April 5, 1938. ‘A few months later, Secretary of War Harty H. ‘Woodring shocked Moses by denying approval fr the Brooklyn-Battery Bridge cause it was “seaward of a vital Navy establishment” (che Brooklyn Navy Yard) and could be a wartime lise bili. To reinforce his shaky reasoning («wo bridges already spanned the East River seaward ofthe Navy Yard), Woodring wrote, "In furtherance of a long-range and sound national defense policy, che Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges should ‘when they have reached the tend oftheir safe life, be replaced by tunnels, Moses was enraged—the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel ranked a his greatest public defen, one he was always to blame on Eleanor Rooreek. Ie dda’ helped tha che First Ladys husband rubbed Moses’ nose in hie failure. “For some time, there was some dispute a 10 whether we would eros the ever berween Manhattan and Brooklyn over the water of under the wate,” the presidenenoced in his remarks at che tunnel’ round: breaking ceremony, and went on co make an obvi cous jab at Moses: “That was a question that a mere layman coulda decide Felvaory Match 2000 BROOKLYN BRIDGE 83THE TOLL HAS GONE FROM 35¢ TO $3.50, BUT THE TUNNEL, BESIDES A $70 MILLION ‘Consructon began on (October 28, 1940. Much of the tunnel wat died ehrough solid rock. Bur the river bottom under the Butera Channel berween Governors Island and Brooklyn, consis of sof sie and clay, Elaborate precautions i ei had robe taken co prevent — oN es 7D scene ost ‘olen les tact lraiecrompened Tarspanire seca z ' eo sia aeaete as fa cathy. ita todo wh ong persia ta an ak nih Lorumesas tiger peasur sa he way in and lower ar pressure on the ‘way out, leaving time for only ‘wo 30-minute periods ofexca- vation work on an average di. Even so, over the length ofthe Ce ee a ewe pt wo mp ARR elite (ADM te rons ing min condion cat rests when ny bbb of | Ea aie pin eo Og exposed to low pressure and ye cle ike «be of shaken sa in oe ins weelodingthe ok with sandho in i 1948 memoir yin and 1.500 fd Norwasthewune icf yam They shor the Bl, Gian Under he Ears The fered moder o ete cs ples envionment Hogs. andthe was aoendous aman if ofthe Sandig in oft ben "You le soe fOdan didging ils” noi remember ews myth Brolin Batiy Tamed. one man or eey me of re lll ie eed out ibe fe day and Toney uc Theligh concen of tunel yout id Rechie reek and supported the ranel ight thn and ho age prsentinthecom Finan using mane 2 tn pemanenesuppors were Beatnwofthedangroas ped siematethe that of ae forthe Sandhogs ion, imple Sandhogs woul! eat nate of hwork ch oxup is twice a dell igaetes Lc 7 src Foneoheshedsby once oracersin reado, bumed oq tht they > A national wave of labor Ulatng digging and ating “The sndhog ea dredeed appeared inthe pul; rock strikes began in 1946, leas the rubble oucof the tube. "It who docmthinkit pariouly Gls cxplosionsand misfired ing to ascricsofwildaat = weasvery non mendes ssoundngihat cam his ramite were iepsent_——walhoutsby city worker, Bab Olmwel, 75, acing dalyad bers ieand lin pons By theme wan Timekecpers, office morkers 3 neeton the pec. “Then caches ges towork” rit 8men die digging. and eeenicansall went on 2 would every alee when hey oe Pa Cost, afomer thee 29 were permanent: strike in 1947, and sndhogs 2 84 DROOKLYN BRIDGE Febuary «Merch 2cco