The former Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, flooded by Superstorm Sandy and one of New York City’s last clogged thoroughfares, will soon reopen to all traffic, two government officials said Tuesday.
Another official says Tuesday’s announcement will be the expanded opening of the tunnel as a first phase of the eventual opening to all traffic. Currently, only buses are using the tunnel on one lane.
The commuter tunnel is a major automotive link in the region. It connects Brooklyn to Manhattan under the mouth of the East River and in tandem with the Holland Tunnel, which reopened a week ago, is a link in shepherding traffic to and from New Jersey.
The officials say Gov. Andrew Cuomo is scheduled to make the announcement Tuesday afternoon that the link, recently renamed the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel, will reopen. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because the announcement was hours away.
The tunnel was among the most damaged by the storm surge and has been a nagging problem even as other tunnels and subway lines opened. Cuomo will announce the opening time.
Cuomo had said Sunday the tunnel would be open this week for rush-hour bus service only.
Cuomo has used the tunnel repeatedly as an example of the severity of the storm. Now, it’s a symbol of the city’s recovery. He’s making the announcement with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and Joseph Lhota, CEO and chairman of the state’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.