On November 13, 1927, The Clifford Milburn Holland Tunnel opened, connecting Manhattan to Jersey City!  Some interesting facts about the tunnel:-The tunnel was named after the chief engineer on the project, who passed away from a heart attack before it was complete- sadly, just days before the NJ and NY sides of the tunnel were about to meet in 1924.  His successor, Milton Freeman, also died 5 months later! This left the third chief engineer, Ole Singstad, with the task of finishing the tunnel. (source)

-On the first day open, 51,694 vehicles passed through the tunnel! Cars paid 50 cents, motorcycles paid 25 cents, and trucks paid up to $2.00. (source/source)

-The tunnel cost $54,000,000- equivalent to around $700,000,000 today! (source)

-The tunnel took 7 years to complete, with construction beginning on February 1, 1920. (source)

-Number of ceiling tiles: 3.1 million | Number of wall tiles: 2.9 million (source)

 

Keep reading to view old photos of the tunnel under construction and its early days!

 

This quick 1 minute video explains how the Holland Tunnel was built:

Photo sources:  photo 1 | photo 2 | photo 3 | photo 4