This is the abandoned Laurel Hill tunnel, bypassed by the Pennsylvania Turnpike in 1964. It sits at milepost 99 just east of the Donegal interchange. Sept. 28, 2003.
Back in 2002 my friend and I were at the Rays Hill and Sideling Hill tunnels and almost walked the entire thing, we did wonder how close we were to the Laurel hill tunnel when we turned back to meet up with our group, i finally used google maps and it turns out its miles and miles away from these, we would have just been close to the turnpike. I did see that the sideling hill side only goes out about a mile now then cuts off. Shame, but progess needs to happen in the world.
@woodencoasterfan Yes that was true at the time, 1964 for Laurel and 1968 for Rays and Sideling.....but taking a road in a state that has aweful weather in the winter up over the mountains instead of a lower valley route is just plain stupid. I use to drive the PA Turnpike for years back in the 70's and 80's and driving in the winter on those tunnel bypasses was aweful. You had fog, ice fog, snow, sleet and many many crashes. That was a very smart move PA Turnpike Commission.
Was through this many times, from Akron to Somerset Pa. The road would wind down around and into the tunnel cars coming at you in one lane and going east in the other. Had to dim lights. I think the tunnel had over head lights every few yards or so not flurocent just light bulbs of some sort with q glass cover sort of oblong.
@Conrail6370, No I meant I moved to PIT in 1982, 100 after my great grandfather first started the tunnel in 1882. Make sense now? The mistake was it was not Cornelius Vanderbilt, but his son William Henry Vanderbilt, and the project was known as Vanderbilt's Folly!
PA Turnpike, still the most dangerous toll road in America! Disintegrated truck tires are still the most common site for weary road travelers.
dwetick 2 weeks ago
Back in 2002 my friend and I were at the Rays Hill and Sideling Hill tunnels and almost walked the entire thing, we did wonder how close we were to the Laurel hill tunnel when we turned back to meet up with our group, i finally used google maps and it turns out its miles and miles away from these, we would have just been close to the turnpike. I did see that the sideling hill side only goes out about a mile now then cuts off. Shame, but progess needs to happen in the world.
brendanbbaker 1 month ago
PENNSYLVANIA!!! :D
fuzzy1416 1 month ago
Cranky i didn't know that there is a big part of an old highway abandoned.
CORELfreak 1 month ago
@woodencoasterfan Yes that was true at the time, 1964 for Laurel and 1968 for Rays and Sideling.....but taking a road in a state that has aweful weather in the winter up over the mountains instead of a lower valley route is just plain stupid. I use to drive the PA Turnpike for years back in the 70's and 80's and driving in the winter on those tunnel bypasses was aweful. You had fog, ice fog, snow, sleet and many many crashes. That was a very smart move PA Turnpike Commission.
TheWetguy1973 4 months ago
Was through this many times, from Akron to Somerset Pa. The road would wind down around and into the tunnel cars coming at you in one lane and going east in the other. Had to dim lights. I think the tunnel had over head lights every few yards or so not flurocent just light bulbs of some sort with q glass cover sort of oblong.
drallsnow3 6 months ago
is it easy to get here? i live close but here the police patrol the area
i want to go exploring some tunnels ! :<
honse246 11 months ago
That looks like a tunnel at bush gardens howl o scream I walked through last October.
hermitcrab8518 1 year ago
@Conrail6370, No I meant I moved to PIT in 1982, 100 after my great grandfather first started the tunnel in 1882. Make sense now? The mistake was it was not Cornelius Vanderbilt, but his son William Henry Vanderbilt, and the project was known as Vanderbilt's Folly!
atcmp 1 year ago
atcmp, I think you mean 10 years later not 100 years. :) interesting family history you have.
Merry Christmas,
Len.
Conrail6370 1 year ago