Baltimore Harbor Tunnel
_in_Baltimore_City,_Maryland.jpg) Baltimore Harbor Tunnel, traveling northbound on I-895 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Location | Patapsco River, Baltimore, Maryland, USA |
| Coordinates | 39°15′15″N 76°34′16″W / 39.25417°N 76.57111°W |
| Route |  I-895 |
| Operation | |
| Opened | November 29, 1957[1] |
| Operator | MdTA |
| Toll | $4 (both directions) |
| 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 Interstate 895—the Harbor Tunnel Thruway—under the Patapsco River southeast of downtown Baltimore, Maryland, United States. The tunnel was designed by Peter Johnson.
Description
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 in each direction. The maximum speed within the tunnel is 50 miles per hour (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 (30.8 m) below ground.
As of July 1, 2015, the toll rate for cars is $4.00 cash or $3.00 E-ZPass, paid in either direction. Vehicles with more than two axles pay additional amounts, up to $30.00 for six axles.[2]
History
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 the harbor and secured with rocks and backfill; the first of these tunnel segments was sunk on April 11, 1956.[citation needed] 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),[3] nearly two months ahead of schedule. At the time, the toll was forty cents.[1] 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
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. It was fully reopened by 1990.
_at_the_north_entrance_to_the_Baltimore_Harbor_Tunnel_in_Baltimore_City,_Maryland.jpg)
In November 2007, the 50th anniversary of the tunnel serving travelers was observed.[4][5]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Baltimore Opens Harbor Tunnel". The News and Courier. Charleston, South Carolina. November 29, 1957. p. 2-A – via Google News Archive.
- ^ "MdTA toll rates: Baltimore Harbor Tunnel, Fort McHenry Tunnel and Francis Scott Key Bridge". Retrieved July 26, 2016.
- ^ Maryland Transportation Authority. "The Baltimore Harbor Tunnel" (PDF).
- ^ "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.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help)
External links
Media related to Baltimore Harbor Tunnel at Wikimedia Commons
Crossings of the Patapsco River | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
