Thinking of doing any late-night drives from New York City to New Jersey any time soon? If so, you may want to avoid the Holland Tunnel for the next few years.
That's because starting Feb. 5, the New Jersey-bound tube will be closed off to traffic during the overnight hours. The closure, which goes from 11 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. six nights a week, will last through 2025, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said Tuesday.
The reason for shutting down that part of the 1.6-mile-long tunnel for so long: Crucial repairs on damage caused by Superstorm Sandy, as well as resiliency projects to protect against future storms, according to Port Authority.
The agency said that 30 million gallons of brackish water entered into tubs through New Jersey portals in Oct. 2012. Some of the components that are still damaged include: safety walks and rails; curb drainage; structural steel; blower ducts; granite block retaining walls; exhaust ducts; fire detection and suppression systems; pump rooms; lighting and corroded elevator parts; and voice communication system and fiber optic cables.
The only night when no scheduled closures are planned will be Saturday nights. For those who need to get to NJ, Port Authority recommends using the George Washington Bridge in Upper Manhattan, or the Lincoln Tunnel if going to Hudson or Essex Counties. To access Staten Island or southern New Jersey, use the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge to the Goethals or Bayonne bridges, or the Outerbridge Crossing.
Meanwhile, the nightly suspensions of New York-bound traffic will end at 5 a.m. on Feb. 4, as those repairs come to a close.
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