▁ 1 9 0 4 . ▁Origin ally , ▁the ▁tunnel ▁would ▁have ▁compr ised ▁three ▁tub es , ▁but ▁this ▁was ▁later ▁down s ized ▁to ▁two ▁tub es . ▁The ▁first ▁construction ▁work ▁compr ised ▁the ▁dig ging ▁of ▁two ▁sh aft s : ▁one ▁just ▁east ▁of ▁ 1 1 th ▁Avenue ▁a ▁few ▁hundred ▁yards ▁east ▁of ▁the ▁river ' s ▁eastern ▁shore ; ▁and ▁a ▁larger ▁one ▁in ▁We eh aw ken , ▁a ▁few ▁hundred ▁yards ▁west ▁of ▁the ▁river ' s ▁western ▁shore . ▁Const ruction ▁on ▁the ▁We eh aw ken ▁Sh aft ▁started ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 9 0 3 . ▁It ▁was ▁completed ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 9 0 4 ▁as ▁a ▁concrete - w alled ▁rect angular ▁pit , ▁ ▁at ▁the ▁bottom ▁and ▁ ▁deep . ▁ ▁When ▁the ▁sh aft s ▁were ▁complete , ▁O ' R our ke ▁began ▁work ▁on ▁the ▁t unn els ▁proper . ▁The ▁project ▁was ▁divided ▁into ▁three ▁parts , ▁each ▁managed ▁by ▁a ▁resident ▁engineer : ▁the ▁" Term inal ▁Station " ▁in ▁Manh attan ; ▁the ▁" R iver ▁T unn els ", ▁east ▁from ▁the ▁We eh aw ken ▁Sh aft ▁and ▁under ▁the ▁Hudson ▁River ; ▁and ▁the ▁Ber gen ▁Hill ▁t unn els , ▁west ▁from ▁the ▁We eh aw ken ▁Sh aft ▁to ▁the ▁tunnel ▁port als ▁on ▁the ▁west ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁Pal is ades . ▁The ▁t unn els ▁were ▁built ▁with ▁dr illing ▁and ▁bl