Baltimore Harbor Tunnel: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Tunnel in Baltimore, Maryland, US}} |
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{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2019}} |
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2019}} |
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{{Infobox tunnel |
{{Infobox tunnel |
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|name= Baltimore Harbor Tunnel |
|name= Baltimore Harbor Tunnel |
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|image=2016-08-12 15 49 22 View north along Interstate 895 (Baltimore Harbor Tunnel) in Baltimore City, Maryland.jpg |
|image=2016-08-12 15 49 22 View north along Interstate 895 (Baltimore Harbor Tunnel) in Baltimore City, Maryland.jpg |
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|image_size=300px |
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|caption=Baltimore Harbor Tunnel, traveling northbound on I-895 |
|caption=Baltimore Harbor Tunnel, traveling northbound on [[Interstate 895|I-895]] |
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|lanes= 4 |
|lanes= 4 |
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|route={{Jct|state=MD|I|895}} |
|route={{Jct|state=MD|I|895}} |
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|location= [[Patapsco River]], [[ |
|location= [[Patapsco River]], [[Baltimore]], Maryland, U.S. |
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|operator= [[Maryland Transportation Authority |
|operator= [[Maryland Transportation Authority]] |
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|id= |
|id= |
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|below= |
|below= |
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|traffic= |
|traffic= |
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|opened = {{start date and years ago|1957|11|29}}<ref name= |
|opened = {{start date and years ago|1957|11|29}}<ref name="baa1957">{{Cite news |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WOclAAAAIBAJ&dq=Baltimore+Opens+Harbor+Tunnel&pg=PA14&article_id=2892,7182641 |title=30,000 Vehicles A Day Expected At Harbor Tunnel |date=1957-12-03 |page=14 |newspaper=[[Baltimore Afro-American]] |language=en}}</ref> |
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<ref name=opens>{{cite news |title = Baltimore Opens Harbor Tunnel |date = November 29, 1957 |work = The News and Courier |location = Charleston, South Carolina |page = 2-A |via = Google News Archive |url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JWtJAAAAIBAJ&pg=2221,4765214&dq=beltway+washington&hl=en }}{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> |
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|closed= |
|closed= |
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|toll= Passenger cars:<br>$3 Maryland E-ZPass<br>$4 non-Maryland E-ZPass<br>$6 Video toll |
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|toll= $4 (both directions) |
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|coordinates = {{coord|39|15|15|N|76|34|16|W|region:US-MD_type:landmark_scale:30000|display=inline}} |
|coordinates = {{coord|39|15|15|N|76|34|16|W|region:US-MD_type:landmark_scale:30000|display=inline}} |
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}} |
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The '''Baltimore Harbor Tunnel''' is a pair of two-lane [[road tunnel]]s carrying [[Interstate 895 |
The '''Baltimore Harbor Tunnel''' is a pair of two-lane [[road tunnel]]s carrying [[Interstate 895|I-895]] under the [[Patapsco River]] southeast of downtown [[Baltimore]], [[Maryland]]. |
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==Description== |
==Description== |
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The pair of tunnels is {{convert|7650|ft|mi km|2}} long, stretching from the south shore of the |
The pair of tunnels is {{convert|7650|ft|mi km|2}} long, stretching from the south shore of the Patapsco River to the north shore near [[Dundalk, Maryland|Dundalk]]. Each tunnel is {{convert|22|ft|m|1}} wide and {{convert|14|ft|m|1}} high, and accommodates two lanes of traffic. The maximum speed within the tunnel is {{convert|50|mi/h|km/h}}. Two-way traffic may occur in either tunnel for overnight roadwork or during emergencies that close down one of the tunnels. The Tunnel has lane control signals to control which lanes are open, closed or as contra-flow traffic.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mdta.maryland.gov/blog-category/mdta-traffic-advisories/i-895-baltimore-harbor-tunnel-overnight-lane-closures-week-35|title = (I-895) Baltimore Harbor Tunnel Overnight Lane Closures for the Week of March 23, 2020 | MDTA}}</ref> |
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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 {{convert|50|ft|m|1}} below ground to {{convert|101|ft|m|1}} below ground. |
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 {{convert|50|ft|m|1}} below ground to {{convert|101|ft|m|1}} below ground. |
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[[File:2007 09 16 - 895tunnel - WB 2.JPG|left|thumb|Baltimore Harbor Tunnel, traveling southbound on I-895]] |
[[File:2007 09 16 - 895tunnel - WB 2.JPG|left|thumb|Baltimore Harbor Tunnel, traveling southbound on [[Interstate 895|I-895]]]] |
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As of July 1, 2015, the toll rate for cars is $4.00 cash or $3.00 [[E-ZPass]], paid in |
As of July 1, 2015, the toll rate for cars is $4.00 cash or $3.00 [[E-ZPass]], paid in both directions. Vehicles with more than two axles pay additional amounts, up to $30.00 for six axles.<ref name="Toll_Rates">{{cite web |url = http://www.mdta.maryland.gov/Toll_Rates/harbor_crossings_rates.html |title = MdTA toll rates: Baltimore Harbor Tunnel, Fort McHenry Tunnel and Francis Scott Key Bridge |access-date = July 26, 2016 }}</ref> In March 2020, [[all-electronic tolling]] was implemented as a result of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], with tolls payable through E-ZPass or [[toll-by-plate|Video Tolling]], which uses [[automatic license plate recognition]]. All-electronic tolling was made permanent in August 2020.<ref>{{cite news|title=All-Electronic Tolling Now Permanent at All MDTA Facilities Statewide in Maryland|publisher=WBOC-TV|location=Salisbury, MD|date=August 6, 2020|url=http://www.wboc.com/story/42463689/md-governor-announces-allelectronic-tolling-now-permanent-at-all-mdta-facilities-statewide|access-date=August 6, 2020}}</ref> |
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==History== |
==History== |
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The tunnel and approaches were designed by [[Ole Singstad|Singstad 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 twenty-one {{convert|310|ft|m|adj=mid|-long}} sections individually submerged into the harbor and secured with rocks and backfill; the first of these tunnel segments was sunk on April 11, 1956.<ref>{{ |
The tunnel and approaches were designed by [[Ole Singstad|Singstad 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 twenty-one {{convert|310|ft|m|adj=mid|-long}} sections individually submerged into a pre-dredged trench in the harbor and secured with rocks and backfill; the first of these tunnel segments was sunk on April 11, 1956.<ref>{{Cite news| pages = 80| title = 1st Tunnel Unit Lowered Into Harbor| work = The Evening Sun| location = Baltimore, Maryland| access-date = 2020-02-29| date = 1956-04-11| url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/45828437/1st-tunnel-unit-lowered-into-harbor/}}</ref> 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 project's costs ultimately reached $150 million (${{Inflation|US|150|1957|fmt=c}} million in {{Inflation/year|US}}).<ref>{{Cite news| pages = 45| last = Hirzel| first = Donald| title = Dedication of Harbor Tunnel Tomorrow Caps 36-Year Battle| work = The Evening Sun| location = Baltimore, Maryland| access-date = 2020-02-29| date = 1957-11-28| url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/45828572/dedication-of-harbor-tunnel-tomorrow/}}</ref> |
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The tunnel opened on November 29, 1957, with a dedication by Maryland Governor [[Theodore McKeldin]] and a crowd of 4,000 spectators.<ref>{{Cite news| pages = 26| last = Trewhitt| first = Henry L.| title = $144,000,000 Harbor Tunnel Is Opened By Governor McKeldin| work = The Baltimore Sun| location = Baltimore, Maryland| access-date = 2020-02-29| date = 1957-11-30| url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/45830178/144000000-harbor-tunnel-is-opened-by/}}</ref> The initial toll for standard cars was 40¢.<ref name=opens/> In the first 12 hours of operation, the tunnel handled an estimated 10,000 vehicles, mostly drivers from Maryland.<ref>{{Cite news| pages = 18| last = Hirzel| first = Donald| title = 10,000 Vehicles Use Harbor Tunnel In First 12 Hours After Opening| work = The Evening Sun| location = Baltimore, Maryland| access-date = 2020-02-29| date = 1957-11-30| url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/45829511/10000-vehicles-use-harbor-tunnel-in/}}</ref> In the same period, the tunnel also experienced its first collision (15 minutes after opening), first flat tire and first stalled vehicle.<ref>{{Cite news| pages = 18| last = Holcomb| first = Charles| title = Initial Crash - Tunnel Has 'Firsts'| work = The Evening Sun| location = Baltimore, Maryland| access-date = 2020-02-29| date = 1957-11-30| url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/45829683/initial-crash-tunnel-has-firsts/}}</ref> |
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The tunnel opened on November 29, 1957 (along with most of the Thruway),<ref>{{cite web |author = [[Maryland Transportation Authority]] |url = http://www.mdta.state.md.us/mdta/Documents/harbor.pdf |title = The Baltimore Harbor Tunnel }}</ref> nearly two months ahead of schedule. At the time, the toll was forty cents.<ref name=opens/> The day the tunnel was opened, it experienced heavy traffic for the first time as thousands of motorists traveled north to [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]] to watch the 1957 [[Army–Navy Game|Army–Navy football]] |
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The tunnel was considered a success by the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA), as it eliminated 51 traffic signals for through-traffic in Baltimore, and reduced neighborhood street commercial traffic by up to 40%.<ref>{{cite web |author = Maryland Transportation Authority |author-link = Maryland Transportation Authority |url = http://www.mdta.state.md.us/mdta/Documents/harbor.pdf |title = The Baltimore Harbor Tunnel }}</ref> However, increased tunnel usage and high traffic volume led to the planning, construction, and opening of the nearby [[Fort McHenry Tunnel]] in 1985, creating the final link of [[Interstate 95 in Maryland]]. The Harbor Tunnel was then closed in phases for extensive rehabilitation, beginning in March 1987.<ref>{{Cite news| pages = 18| last = McCord| first = Joel| title = Harbor Tunnel work to force rerouting of northbound traffic| work = The Baltimore Sun| location = Baltimore, Maryland| access-date = 2020-02-29| date = 1987-03-11| url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/45830604/harbor-tunnel-work-to-force-rerouting/}}</ref> It was fully reopened by 1990. |
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[[File:Baltimore Harbor Tunnel.jpg|thumb|The southwestern entrance of the tunnel]] |
[[File:Baltimore Harbor Tunnel.jpg|thumb|The southwestern entrance of the tunnel]] |
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[[File:2016-08-15 07 09 24 View south along Interstate 895 (Baltimore Harbor Tunnel Thruway) at the north entrance to the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel in Baltimore City, Maryland.jpg|thumb|The northeastern entrance of the tunnel]] |
[[File:2016-08-15 07 09 24 View south along Interstate 895 (Baltimore Harbor Tunnel Thruway) at the north entrance to the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel in Baltimore City, Maryland.jpg|thumb|The northeastern entrance of the tunnel]] |
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In November 2007, the 50th anniversary of the tunnel serving travelers was observed.<ref>{{cite web |title = Baltimore Harbor Tunnel is 50 |work = TOLLROADSnews |date = November 29, 2007 |url = http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/3285 | |
In November 2007, the 50th anniversary of the tunnel serving travelers was observed.<ref>{{cite web |title = Baltimore Harbor Tunnel is 50 |work = TOLLROADSnews |date = November 29, 2007 |url = http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/3285 |access-date = December 26, 2007 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090219235733/http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/3285 |archive-date = February 19, 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last = |first = |author-link = |title = Harbor Tunnel marks 50th anniversary |work = Baltimore Sun |date = November 21, 2007 |url = http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/traffic/bal-te.md.tunnel21nov21,0,3979497.story |format = |doi = |access-date = November 21, 2007 }}{{Dead link|date=June 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> |
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In November 2018, the MDTA started a multi-year project to replace the I-895 bridge spans north of the tunnel. The $189 million project also includes $28 million to repair and upgrade the tunnel itself. Originally planned to be complete by summer 2021, work was largely finished ahead of schedule in December 2020.<ref>{{cite web |title = Project Timeline |work = MDTA website |url = https://mdta.maryland.gov/I-895BridgeProject/timeline.html |access-date = July 15, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=WELCOME BACK! AHEAD OF SCHEDULE: ALL LANES NOW REOPENED ON NEW #895BMORE BRIDGE & IN HARBOR TUNNEL {{!}} MDTA |url=https://mdta.maryland.gov/blog-category/mdta-news-releases/welcome-back-ahead-schedule-all-lanes-now-reopened-new-895bmore |access-date=2024-04-15 |website=mdta.maryland.gov}}</ref> |
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After the [[Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse]] on March 26, 2024, the Harbor Tunnel became one of the primary alternate routes for drivers and trucks containing non-hazardous loads.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mattu |first=Rohan |date=2024-03-26 |title=How to travel around the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore: A look at the traffic impact and alternate routes - CBS Baltimore |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/travel-around-francis-scott-key-bridge-collapse-baltimore-traffic/ |access-date=2024-03-26 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref> |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{Reflist}} |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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{{Crossings navbox |
{{Crossings navbox |
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|upstream=[[Fort McHenry Tunnel]] |
|upstream=[[Fort McHenry Tunnel]] |
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|upstream signs=[[Image:I-95.svg|20px]] |
|upstream signs=[[Image:I-95.svg|20px]] |
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|downstream=[[ |
|downstream=[[Chesapeake Bay Bridge]]<br><small>([[Chesapeake Bay]])</small> |
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|downstream signs=[[Image: |
|downstream signs=[[Image:US 50.svg|20px]][[Image:US 301.svg|25px]] |
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[[Category:Crossings of the Patapsco River]] |
[[Category:Crossings of the Patapsco River]] |
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[[Category:Tolled sections of Interstate Highways]] |
[[Category:Tolled sections of Interstate Highways]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Tunnels in Baltimore]] |
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[[Category:Toll tunnels in Maryland]] |
[[Category:Toll tunnels in Maryland]] |
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[[Category:Tunnels completed in 1957]] |
[[Category:Tunnels completed in 1957]] |
Latest revision as of 20:38, 22 April 2024
Overview | |
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Location | Patapsco River, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
Coordinates | 39°15′15″N 76°34′16″W / 39.25417°N 76.57111°W |
Route | I-895 |
Operation | |
Opened | November 29, 1957[1] [2] |
Operator | Maryland Transportation Authority |
Toll | Passenger cars: $3 Maryland E-ZPass $4 non-Maryland E-ZPass $6 Video toll |
Technical | |
Length | 7,650 ft (1.45 mi; 2.33 km)[citation needed] |
No. of lanes | 4 |
Tunnel clearance | 14 ft (4.3 m) |
Route map | |
The Baltimore Harbor Tunnel is a pair of two-lane road tunnels carrying I-895 under the Patapsco River southeast of downtown Baltimore, Maryland.
Description
[edit]The pair of tunnels is 7,650 feet (1.45 mi; 2.33 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 (4.3 m) high, and accommodates two lanes of traffic. The maximum speed within the tunnel is 50 miles per hour (80 km/h). Two-way traffic may occur in either tunnel for overnight roadwork or during emergencies that close down one of the tunnels. The Tunnel has lane control signals to control which lanes are open, closed or as contra-flow traffic.[3]
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 (30.8 m) below ground.
As of July 1, 2015, the toll rate for cars is $4.00 cash or $3.00 E-ZPass, paid in both directions. Vehicles with more than two axles pay additional amounts, up to $30.00 for six axles.[4] In March 2020, all-electronic tolling was implemented as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with tolls payable through E-ZPass or Video Tolling, which uses automatic license plate recognition. All-electronic tolling was made permanent in August 2020.[5]
History
[edit]The tunnel and approaches were designed by Singstad 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 twenty-one 310-foot-long (94 m) sections individually submerged into a pre-dredged trench in the harbor and secured with rocks and backfill; the first of these tunnel segments was sunk on April 11, 1956.[6] 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 project's costs ultimately reached $150 million ($1,627 million in 2023).[7]
The tunnel opened on November 29, 1957, with a dedication by Maryland Governor Theodore McKeldin and a crowd of 4,000 spectators.[8] The initial toll for standard cars was 40¢.[2] In the first 12 hours of operation, the tunnel handled an estimated 10,000 vehicles, mostly drivers from Maryland.[9] In the same period, the tunnel also experienced its first collision (15 minutes after opening), first flat tire and first stalled vehicle.[10]
The tunnel was considered a success by the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA), as it eliminated 51 traffic signals for through-traffic in Baltimore, and reduced neighborhood street commercial traffic by up to 40%.[11] However, increased tunnel usage and high traffic volume led to the planning, construction, and opening of the nearby Fort McHenry Tunnel in 1985, creating the final link of Interstate 95 in Maryland. The Harbor Tunnel was then closed in phases for extensive rehabilitation, beginning in March 1987.[12] It was fully reopened by 1990.
In November 2007, the 50th anniversary of the tunnel serving travelers was observed.[13][14] In November 2018, the MDTA started a multi-year project to replace the I-895 bridge spans north of the tunnel. The $189 million project also includes $28 million to repair and upgrade the tunnel itself. Originally planned to be complete by summer 2021, work was largely finished ahead of schedule in December 2020.[15][16]
After the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse on March 26, 2024, the Harbor Tunnel became one of the primary alternate routes for drivers and trucks containing non-hazardous loads.[17]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "30,000 Vehicles A Day Expected At Harbor Tunnel". Baltimore Afro-American. December 3, 1957. p. 14.
- ^ a b "Baltimore Opens Harbor Tunnel". The News and Courier. Charleston, South Carolina. November 29, 1957. p. 2-A – via Google News Archive.[permanent dead link ]
- ^ "(I-895) Baltimore Harbor Tunnel Overnight Lane Closures for the Week of March 23, 2020 | MDTA".
- ^ "MdTA toll rates: Baltimore Harbor Tunnel, Fort McHenry Tunnel and Francis Scott Key Bridge". Retrieved July 26, 2016.
- ^ "All-Electronic Tolling Now Permanent at All MDTA Facilities Statewide in Maryland". Salisbury, MD: WBOC-TV. August 6, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
- ^ "1st Tunnel Unit Lowered Into Harbor". The Evening Sun. Baltimore, Maryland. April 11, 1956. p. 80. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
- ^ Hirzel, Donald (November 28, 1957). "Dedication of Harbor Tunnel Tomorrow Caps 36-Year Battle". The Evening Sun. Baltimore, Maryland. p. 45. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
- ^ Trewhitt, Henry L. (November 30, 1957). "$144,000,000 Harbor Tunnel Is Opened By Governor McKeldin". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Maryland. p. 26. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
- ^ Hirzel, Donald (November 30, 1957). "10,000 Vehicles Use Harbor Tunnel In First 12 Hours After Opening". The Evening Sun. Baltimore, Maryland. p. 18. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
- ^ Holcomb, Charles (November 30, 1957). "Initial Crash - Tunnel Has 'Firsts'". The Evening Sun. Baltimore, Maryland. p. 18. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
- ^ Maryland Transportation Authority. "The Baltimore Harbor Tunnel" (PDF).
- ^ McCord, Joel (March 11, 1987). "Harbor Tunnel work to force rerouting of northbound traffic". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Maryland. p. 18. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
- ^ "Baltimore Harbor Tunnel is 50". TOLLROADSnews. November 29, 2007. Archived from the original on February 19, 2009. Retrieved December 26, 2007.
- ^ "Harbor Tunnel marks 50th anniversary". Baltimore Sun. November 21, 2007. Retrieved November 21, 2007.[permanent dead link ]
- ^ "Project Timeline". MDTA website. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
- ^ "WELCOME BACK! AHEAD OF SCHEDULE: ALL LANES NOW REOPENED ON NEW #895BMORE BRIDGE & IN HARBOR TUNNEL | MDTA". mdta.maryland.gov. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
- ^ Mattu, Rohan (March 26, 2024). "How to travel around the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore: A look at the traffic impact and alternate routes - CBS Baltimore". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
External links
[edit]Media related to Baltimore Harbor Tunnel at Wikimedia Commons