Queens–Midtown Tunnel

The Queens–Midtown Tunnel is a toll tunnel underneath the East River in New York City. It connects Long Island City in Queens, to the east, with the East Side of Midtown Manhattan, to the west. The Queens–Midtown Tunnel consists of twin tubes that each carry two traffic lanes. The tunnel is designated as part of Interstate 495, which originates at the tunnel's Manhattan end and continues eastward across Long Island.

The Queens–Midtown Tunnel was first planned in 1921. Over the following years, the plans for the tunnel were modified, and by the 1930s, the tunnel was being proposed as the Triborough Tunnel, a tunnel connecting Queens and Brooklyn with both the east and west sides of Manhattan. The New York City Tunnel Authority finally started construction on the tunnel in 1936, although by then, the plans had been downsized. The tunnel, designed by Ole Singstad, was opened to traffic on November 15, 1940.