During the morning rush hour, one lane in the southern tube is used as a westbound high-occupancy vehicle lane. The southern tube normally carries eastbound traffic to Queens, and the northern tube normally carries westbound traffic to Manhattan. The Queens–Midtown Tunnel consists of two tubes that each carry two traffic lanes. 2.6 Mid-Manhattan Expressway and third tube plan.From 1981 to 2016, the Queens–Midtown Tunnel was also the site of the Ringling Bros. It is used by several dozen express bus routes. The Queens–Midtown Tunnel is owned by New York City and operated by MTA Bridges and Tunnels, an affiliate agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The tunnel, designed by Ole Singstad, was opened to traffic on November 15, 1940. The New York City Tunnel Authority finally started construction on the tunnel in 1936, although by then, the plans had been downsized to a connector between Queens and the east side of Manhattan. By the 1930s, the tunnel was being proposed as the Triborough Tunnel, which would connect Queens and Brooklyn with the east and west sides of Manhattan. The Queens–Midtown Tunnel was first planned in 1921, though the plans for the tunnel were modified over the following years. The tunnel carries Interstate 495 (I-495) for its entire length I-495's western terminus is at the Manhattan portal of the tunnel. The west end of the tunnel is located on the East Side of Midtown Manhattan, while the east end of the tunnel is located in Long Island City in Queens.

The tunnel consists of a pair of tubes, each carrying two lanes. The Queens–Midtown Tunnel (also sometimes called the Midtown Tunnel) is a vehicular tunnel under the East River in New York City, connecting the boroughs of Manhattan and Queens.

Tunnel rush