HOLLAND Tunnel engineer Ole Singstad (who replaced original tunnel engineer Clifford Milburn Holland) is little remembered today but should be mentioned in the same breath as Robert Moses and Othmar Ammann. He designed or consulted on all of NYC’s major vehicular tunnels: the Holland, Lincoln, Queens-Midtown and Brooklyn-Battery, and other major tunnels in Baltimore, New Jersey, Boston and Oakland. Singstad regretted that his tunnels were mainly used for autos and not for mass transit. The Holland, featuring Singstad’s novel ventilation system, opened in November 1927.
Speaking of mass transit, here’s a sign for the express Canal Street station on the 8th Avenue IND Line serving A, C and E trains. Notice anything unusual? I have. Think about it. What use would a subway passenger have for the Holland Tunnel? Along with expressways and most “parkways,” as well as some bridges, tunnels are reserved for auto/bus/truck use only and subway passengers have absolutely nothing to do with them. Perhaps the MTA thinks of the tunnel as a local landmark and that’s why it’s on the sign. If you have an explanation, Comments are open.
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