when it first opened, traffic on the northeast extension of the pennsylvania turnpike was light. by the 1970s, traffic along the roadway would increase with the completion of the connecting i-80 and the rising popularity of the poconos as a vacation destination. as a result, the two-lane lehigh tunnel faced serious congestion. plans were made to either bypass the tunnel or add a second tube. the turnpike commission decided it would build a second tunnel as the cost was lower than building a bypass. in 1988, a $37 million contract was awarded to build the second tube. groundbreaking for the tunnel took place on february 14, 1989, with governor robert p. casey in attendance. excavation of the new tunnel began in july of that year. construction of the second tube utilized the new austrian tunnelling method, which reduced the cost of the tunnel by $5 to $6 million. it was the first tunnel in the united states to use this construction method. the second tube at lehigh tunnel opened on november 22, 1991, with governor casey in attendance leading a line of antique cars. construction of the tunnel cost $45 million. the new tube is used for southbound traffic while the original tube carries northbound traffic. the newer tunnel is wider, higher, and brighter than the original.