By Rudy King, Media Relations Staff

The Lincoln Tunnel, one of the early marvels of the automotive age, still looks good for an octogenarian.

Opened 80 years ago today, a tunnel that now handles more than 30 million cars and trucks each year is a testament to the countless Port Authority employees over the decades involved in its creation, operation, maintenance and ability to withstand the wear and tear of such a heavily traveled span.

“We salute the staff of dedicated men and women of the  Port Authority who continue to honor the legacy of this great facility with skill and hard work on a daily basis,” said Lincoln Tunnel General Manager Gerard Lindenmeier.

Over its eight decades, the Lincoln Tunnel has proven a vital and resilient connection between New York and Weehawken, N.J., contributing to regional economic stability and growth. The 1.5-mile structure was designed by Norwegian-born civil engineer Ole Singstad, and construction began in 1934 on what would originally be called the Midtown Hudson Tunnel.

The tunnel was designed for two tubes, with the second opening February 1, 1945. But it eventually became clear that two tubes weren’t enough to accommodate the increase in vehicular traffic, and the third tube was opened on May 25, 1957, south of the original pair.

On December 18, 1970, the Port Authority introduced the Exclusive Bus Lane (XBL), the 2.5-mile contra-flow lane along Route 495 considered a traffic breakthrough at the time, and a concept that has been implemented at other tunnels across the United States since then.

For engineering achievements such as the Lincoln Tunnel, statistics often help round out the story. Here are some of the more notable aspects of the span:
• Width of each tunnel roadway: 21 feet, 6 inches
• Operating headroom: 13 feet
• External diameter of tunnel: 31 feet
• Maximum depth from mean high water to roadway: 97 feet
• Length of tunnel (portal to portal):
North tube: 7,482 feet
Center tube: 8,216 feet
South tube: 8,006 feet
• Number of toll lanes: 13

To learn more about the history of the tunnel, visit http://www.panynj.gov/bridges-tunnels/lincoln-tunnel-history.html

By Lenis Rodrigues, Media Relations Staff

Almost seven years ago, Port Authority Police Lt. Scot Pomerantz set out on a mission to have the Hanukkah menorah returned to the rebuilt World Trade Center site.

Before 9/11, two identical 7½ foot menorahs created by Michael and Bonnie Berkowicz were fixtures in the Twin Towers every Hanukkah season, a shining light for all who passed through the lobbies during the eight days of the annual Jewish holiday. But the menorahs’ lights were extinguished forever in the collapse of the towers.

Fast forward to 2011. Pomerantz, president of the Shomrim Society of the Port Authority, decided to bring the light back to the World Trade Center. It was a challenging task. All that was left of the previous menorahs were photos and articles that appeared in The Diary, at the time the newspaper of the Port Authority.

One of the original World Trade Center menorahs

With so little to go on, Pomerantz and his Shomrim Society team turned once again to Bonnie and Michael Berkowicz, the creators of the original menorahs, to develop a new design. For Pomerantz, it was important that the designers incorporate a piece of World Trade Center steel in the new menorah, to represent a symbol of resiliency.

Once the new menorah was created, the next challenge was finding a public space that could accommodate it every December. That turned out to be the World Trade Center Transportation Hub Oculus, where hundreds of thousands of people pass through each day.

Yesterday, for the first time since 9/11, a menorah was lit at the World Trade Center site to mark Hanukkah. The donation from the Berkowicz family is located on the east side of the Oculus on the C2 level and will remain up until January 7.

“We now have a beautiful new WTC that stands as a symbol of resilience to those who tried but failed to change our way of life,” Pomerantz said. “Our menorah, like the new WTC, is reborn, like the Hanukkah story. We wanted to make sure all who see this menorah remember the days when the original menorah stood in freedom.”

Lt. Scot Pomerantz (center, back row) stands with other members of the Shomrim Society

The ceremony yesterday was both celebratory and reflective. Port Authority Chaplain Rabbi Mandy Carlbach blessed the menorah, followed by the lighting of the candles by members of the Shomrim Society.

“The design of the menorah is meant to show that individuals, as individual threads, may be weak, but when woven together as a united community, they become strong,” said Michael Berkowicz. “Ceremonial objects like menorahs have, for thousands of years, been used to enhance and bring meaning to celebrations, and this Hanukkah menorah is one of these special objects.”

Co-creator of the new menorah Michael Berkowicz (left), Director of WTC Operations Hugh McCann and Lt. Pomerantz