The Queens Midtown Tunnel connects Midtown Manhattan at 34th to 38th Streets to the Long Island City and Queens Boulevard corridor in Queens. The NYCDOT cameras at the tunnel exit positions on 35th and 37th Streets in Manhattan give the NYC Live Command Center a real-time view of the conditions at this crossing — the second cross-river tunnel connecting Queens to Manhattan after the Queensboro Bridge.
See it live
Open the Queens-Midtown Tunnel feed on the NYC Live Command Center — filter by borough, jump between cameras, and check conditions in real time.
Watch the live cameraThe Camera Positions
Queens Midtown Tunnel @ 35 St exit: The Manhattan exit from the tunnel for vehicles coming from Queens. This camera shows the vehicles emerging from the tunnel tube and entering the Midtown Manhattan street grid in the Murray Hill and Midtown East area. The exit is on the east side of Midtown, near Second Avenue, and the camera shows the traffic integrating with the surface street flow.
Queens Midtown Tunnel Exit @ 37 St: A second position covering the northern exit from the tunnel on the 37th Street side. The tunnel has multiple exits feeding different blocks of the Midtown street grid, and this camera shows the 37th Street flow specifically.
2 Ave @ 36 St-Midtown Tunnel: The approach on Second Avenue, showing vehicles approaching the tunnel entrance on the Manhattan side for the return trip to Queens.
What the Tunnel Carries
The Queens Midtown Tunnel serves the commuter corridor between Queens and Midtown Manhattan. Vehicles entering from Long Island City and the Queens Boulevard corridor pay a toll and cross under the East River in approximately 3 minutes of tunnel transit time when traffic is clear.
The tunnel carries approximately 40,000 vehicles per day. A significant portion of this is commuter traffic during peak hours, with freight and commercial vehicles making up a substantial share of the off-peak load.
Comparing the Midtown Tunnel to the Queensboro Bridge
The Queens Midtown Tunnel and the Queensboro Bridge (59th Street Bridge) both connect Queens to Midtown Manhattan, but they serve different purposes and different parts of the Midtown grid.
The Queensboro Bridge lands at 59th Street in Manhattan, about 25 blocks north of the Midtown Tunnel exit. The bridge is toll-free (unlike the tunnel, which charges a toll). For drivers whose destinations are in the upper part of Midtown or the East Side above 50th Street, the bridge is often faster and cheaper. For drivers heading to the 30s-40s in Midtown or to the West Side of Midtown, the tunnel's exit position is more direct.
The camera feeds for both crossings are in the Command Center, allowing a comparison of current conditions at both options before committing to either.
The Murray Hill Neighborhood Context
The Queens Midtown Tunnel exits into the Murray Hill neighborhood in Midtown East, an area known for its concentration of residential buildings mixed with commercial and medical uses. The New York University Langone Medical Center complex is nearby, and the 30s on the East Side have historically had a high density of residential buildings catering to young professionals.
The camera feeds around the tunnel exit show Murray Hill's character: the tunnel vehicles joining surface street traffic from Second and Third Avenues, the pedestrian flow on the cross streets, and the commercial activity of the nearby Midtown corridors.
Traffic Patterns by Time of Day
Morning rush (inbound, Queens to Manhattan, 7 to 9:30 a.m.) produces the highest inbound volume. The tunnel capacity limits throughput, and when the Manhattan-side exits are backed up due to surface congestion, the backup extends into the tunnel itself.
Evening rush (outbound, Manhattan to Queens, 4 to 7 p.m.) reverses the direction. The camera at the Manhattan-side approach for outbound traffic (Second Avenue at 36th Street) shows the queue forming as drivers approach the toll plaza.
Weekend patterns at the Midtown Tunnel are noticeably lighter than the Queensboro Bridge on weekend afternoons, because the bridge's toll-free status makes it the preferred option for non-commuters. The tunnel sees more consistent commercial and freight volume on weekends relative to its weekday ratio.
*The NYC Live Command Center carries NYCDOT cameras at the Queens Midtown Tunnel exits at 35th and 37th Streets in Manhattan, and on Second Avenue approaching the tunnel.*