Queens Midtown Tunnel

It’s hard to justify choosing this particular crossing when there’s a toll ($ 5.54 E-​ZPass and $ 8 cash) each way. The Queensboro Bridge is clearly the better choice since it’s free. Despite the toll, traffic conditions on similar for both crossings which just makes choosing the bridge that much easier.

The quickest way to get to midtown when its rush hour time… cause if not you’ll be wasting gas along with having to deal with crazy drivers… lol

No matter what time of the day there is always traffic. The tools keep going up each year. Save yourself the heartburn and get easy pass! Otherwise you will be waiting online with the rest of the tourists. I think that’s what creates the most traffic during rush hour. There are also check stops due to terrorist attacks in the past. The inside of the tunnel looks old and dirty. It’s also a tight drive on a winding road. It’s the better of the tunnels because they do have an hov lane.

This is a short cut to get to Manhatten to Queens or vice versa. When there is traffic, it is horrendous, but that’s usually the case with any crossing in the city. There’s been a decent amount of construction going on the past few years. Not sure if it’s repairs or improvements or both. You get there directly from the LIE or around 34^th Street getting into Queens. There’s a few ways to turn into the tunnel from the city it the entrance is on 34^th and 2^nd. Great view of the sky line at night if you are coming into the city

Why would anyone take this tunnel when there’s a free bridge right next door? Tolls themselves are disgraceful, imagine, paying to drive on a road, in America? It’s so commonplace we often forget how messed up that really is. Now, I know NYC has a lot of mouths to feed, so they gotta keep those toll booths open, keep raising taxes, keep the cops out there being «heroes» by ticketing people for nonsense, etc. Hey, tolls are great revenue generators, right? As far as the tunnel itself, I’ve been in it of course (mainly when I wasn’t driving the vehicle), and yeah, it’s a tunnel all right. The worst part is always the tolls, paying, the lines, the couldn’t-care-less clerks, having the cops seek out people to gorge money from. Avoid at all costs and take the 59^th street bridge (yes that’s what I call it), why do they spend money on signs to rename all these things anyway? To give the DOT something to do any given afternoon? What a mess.

It’s no Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, I’ll tell you that, my friend.
And what is with the weird exit/​entrance on the Queens side?
At these prices, they should be giving you a pedicure while you’re driving through the tunnel.
Thank you very much, I’ll take the Queensboro/​59^th Street bridge (there’s no way in hell I’m ever calling it the Ed Koch Bridge)

This tunnel gets one star for the fact that it got me from point A to point B because i didnt feel like having to back track to the 59^th street bridge. Yes i stupidly had to pay the toll but at 1235am i was bound to make a stupid and not-​so-​well-​thought-​out-​decision.
I would never advise any driver to do this but it helps break up monotony of such a bland looking tunnel:
Picture that as you are driving super slow (even if no one is ahead of you) how much you can piss off the driver behind you. Yeah its messed up but i was bored. Speeding while bored is not advised nor safe. So sunday driving it down an ugly tunnel makes for good times. I was actually able to see the person behind me flash his headlights and flip me off. Dont do this… its not nice

This tunnel literally makes me sick every time. I always feel claustrophobic & can’t wait to get out. There’s too much traffic trying to get here no matter what time of the day or night you choose to use the QMT Tunnel. If you can avoid it then you should at all cost.

No frills structure that gets the job done. The toll booths moved fast and traffic was flowing nicely. The tunnels are very well lit. I’m sure it’s hell during rush hour. Thank you taxi driver for bringing us safely and sanely, from LaGuardia into the city.

Tool is $ 7.50. I am not a driver, but I prefer using Queens Boro Bridge for free. Maybe it is because I like open space like a bridge not like a tunnel.
Two days ago, the traffic was super slow even though it was 11:30pm, and the reason was police! They were stopping drivers to check if drivers were drunk. I was sitting in the passenger seat, but police shined light into my face. It was bright.

The policemen that patrol this tunnel are real power hungry.
I saw a car get pulled over after asking how much longer it would take for the toll collector to swap cash draws with another toll collector.
We were waiting 15 minutes before he honked at the cop and asked how much longer would it be before he can pay his toll and move.
His car was swarmed by the power hungry cops that run this shakedown.
I was waiting behind him and saw the whole thing play out. First they took his toll money and lead him over to the side. Poor guy probably got a ticket or arrested.
For many years the bridge and tunnel cops at this tunnel have behaved like the mob instead of cops.
The fat ass toll collector rolled out of his booth with a big smile on his face after the car was pulled over.
I wish someone got it on video, what a bunch of pigs…

Construction at 11:30pm on a Wednesday night making your commute a hour longer. Smh! No bueno!
Take the free 59^th street bridge.

We love this tunnel! It connects Long Island to manhattan. The inside needs to look prettier, but there generally is not terrible traffic and we came out alive. QUEENS!!!

A brick and tile wonder. Can only be visited via motor car. This tunnel needs a bike and foot path… for real!

I always try to avoid Midtown tunnel, but when in a rush it’s convenient. The fastest way from midtown to Queens.
It’s really narrow and the lighting is weird.
It’s so much traffic in the morning and afternoon rush hour, when coming from LES it takes forever just to get to the tunnel.
The toll is $ 7.50. If you are not in a rush I recommend using Ed Koch to get from Manhattan to Queens. It’s a bit longer drive, but it’s for free.

Traveling to the city? This is the fastest way over the water. They have recently changed out all the lights, making it much brighter and giving it less blind spots.
Getting to the tunnel in the first place is what matters the most, from Manhattan or Queens it’s pretty easy. The tunnel into Queens that’s a different story, the Long Island Expressway (Queens bound) is usually on a rush hour status (even if it’s not rush hour).
Hop onto the Queensboro Bridge if you want to avoid paying the toll and to have a much clearer access to FRD Drive, the drivers’ best choice in traveling up or downtown.
Whichever is your choice, make sure you aren’t coming from the LIE to take the Williamsburg Bridge just to get into the city. It will be your biggest waste of time.

Here’s another landmark to review, much differently than your local restaurant/​shin dig
Why would anyone rate this tunnel lower than 5 stars? It does what it’s supposed to: take you from queens, under the east river, and into midtown manhattan. That’s all this bridge is supposed to do.
Want this convenience or would you rather try driving your car in and through the river? Well, guess what. You’ll have to pay — you think the construction workers and architects spent years building this thing for free? Well, stop your whinin and cough it up sucka
I know people are also complaining about all the traffic to the tunnel. Well:
1. Manhattan is a popular place foolio — people want to come in, and you know the crazy thing? They want to leave too! Un-​friggin-​believable!
2. They should have built 10 lanes both ways in and out of manhattan — expanding this tunnel’s width another 500 feet — that way a thousand cars per second could get dumped right into midtown — we’ll have a traffic jam pileup in the city — that’ll teach those bastard cabbies who’s boss. This is obviously my sarcasm
So the tunnel gets 5 stars — it does what it needs to: connects point A (queens) to point B (manhattan). Foolio! It’s a friggin tunnel!!!

What do you do if you need to get from Brooklyn (or Queens) to Manhattan fast, and beat all afternoon traffic?
Take Midtown tunnel, and trust me on that advice.
Sure, there are more picturesque ways to get to the city, but consider that you will be admiring those views for an hour or two sitting in bumper-​to-​bumper traffic (!Williamsburg bridge!)
It is an easy drive, and with ez-​pass it’s a breeze to get through.
*Just don’t drive Men in Black style, upside down. Will Smith is only one who got permit for that.

In comparison to the other paid tunnels in the city, I suppose the Midtown Tunnel isn’t so bad, (#1) but for all the folks clogging up the Queensboro /​Williamsburg Bridge, it suddenly becomes a necessary evil.
Due to the narrow setup, there is a small margin for error for all drivers coming in. People who can flow with the traffic and bottle neck their way into the tunnel are going to be the ones that get out the quickest. Anyone who is trying to clip lanes, run the checkpoint without a pass, or experience car failure (mechanical or accidental) of any kind is sure to block the traffic and anger many already annoyed drivers.
Worst times to come are during the early morning, late afternoon, early evening. (#2) Getting dinged for $ 5.80 every time may feel painful, but beating the traffic comes with a price to pay.
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(#1) Holland Tunnel, I’m looking at you.
(#2) That’s *almost* all day. We’re all doomed.

One of the more claustrophobic tunnels in the city. Only a few lanes. Weird yellowish lighting inside. Absolute clusterf**k of a traffic mess if using this during rush hours and heading to LI. Only use this tunnel as a straight run to the LIE if heading to Queens or eastern Long Island and you don’t want to find another route. Be prepared to pay tolls in both directions! WTF!!!
I avoid this tunnel like the plague. Last time I used it I got stuck in the tunnel behind a car accident. Took forever to get us outta there. Have not used it since.
Why bother with this tunnel when you can ride over the Queensboro Bridge for free? In both directions!