Baltimore Harbor Tunnel

Infobox_Bridge
bridge_name= Baltimore Harbor Tunnel


caption= Baltimore Harbor Tunnel
official_name= Baltimore Harbor Tunnel
also_known_as=
carries= 4 lanes of Interstate 895
crosses= Patapsco River
locale= Baltimore, Maryland
maint= MTA
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design=
mainspan=
length= 7,650 ft
width=
clearance= 14 ft
below=
traffic=
open= November 29, 1957
closed=
toll= $2
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The Baltimore Harbor Tunnel is a pair of two-lane tunnels carrying Interstate 895 - the Harbor Tunnel Thruway - under the Patapsco River southeast of downtown Baltimore, Maryland, United States.

Route description

The pair of tunnels is 7,650 feet (2.31 km) long, stretching from the south shore of the Patapsco River to the north shore near Dundalk. Each tunnel is 22 feet (6.7 m) wide and 14 feet (4.1 m) high, and accommodates two lanes in each direction. The maximum speed within the tunnel is 50 mph (80 km/h).

Both portals have ventilation buildings, with a total of 32 fans in place to replace the air within the tunnels, which is drawn in through the tunnel floors and exhausted through the tunnel ceilings. The tubes themselves range from a depth of 50 feet (15.2 m) below ground to 101 feet (30.7 m) below ground.

The tunnel and Thruway are maintained by the Maryland Transportation Authority, which currently charges a toll of $2 for cars in both directions. Tolls may be paid with cash or with E-ZPass.

History

The tunnel and approaches were designed by Singstead and Baillie, a New York-based engineering firm specializing in tunnel design, in association with the J.E Greiner Company, a local Baltimore-based firm. The tunnel was formed out of 21 310-foot (94 m) sections individually submerged into the harbor and secured with rocks and backfill; the first of these tunnel segments was sunk on April 11, 1956. [ [http://www.dcroads.net/crossings/harbor-tunnel/ Harbor Tunnel Thruway (I-895)] ] The remainder of the tunnel was constructed using the cut-and-cover method, extending from the submerged tubes to the north and south portals.

The tunnel opened on November 29, 1957 (along with most of the Thruway), [Maryland Transportation Authority, PDFlink| [http://www.mdta.state.md.us/mdta/Documents/harbor.pdf The Baltimore Harbor Tunnel] |168 KB] nearly two months ahead of schedule. The day the tunnel was opened, it experienced heavy traffic for the first time as thousands of motorists traveled north to Philadelphia to watch the 1957 Army-Navy football game.

In November, 2007, the 50th anniversary of the tunnel serving travelers was observed. [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Baltimore Harbor Tunnel is 50
work =
publisher = TOLLROADSnews
date = 2007-11-29
url = http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/3285
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-12-26 ] [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Harbor Tunnel marks 50th anniversary
work =
publisher = Baltimore Sun
date = 2007-11-21
url = http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/traffic/bal-te.md.tunnel21nov21,0,3979497.story
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-11-21 ]

References

Crossings navbox
structure=Crossings
place=Patapsco River
bridge=Baltimore Harbor Tunnel
bridge signs=
upstream=Fort McHenry Tunnel
upstream signs=
downstream=Francis Scott Key Bridge
downstream signs=