times since June 7, 2005.
The following page is being set up to answer many frequently asked
questions (FAQ).
As FAQs arise, I will add the answers to this page.
Please email the webmaster if you have questions that are not answered
here. Thank you! -- Ray
Is it legal to access the abandoned turnpike and the tunnels?
Who currents owns and controls the old roadway and the tunnels?
Are cars, motorcycles, ATVs, snowmobiles, etc permitted for use on the trail and in the tunnels?
Can you get permission to drive through the old tunnels? Has anyone done so?
Where is the western-most point of the old bypassed Ray's Hill-Sideling Hill route?
Where is the eastern-most point of the old bypassed Ray's Hill-Sideling Hill route?
What are the future plans for the tunnels and the old roadway?
I
have heard that the P.T.C. is going to remove two bridges on the Breezewood
area bypassed roadway.
How will this affect the S.A.C. property?
The Laurel Hill Tunnel, along with the bypassed section of roadway, was
abandoned in 1964.
The Ray's Hill Tunnel, Sideling Hill Tunnel and
connecting roadway was bypassed in 1968.
YES. Both the Ray's Hill and Sideling Hill tunnels are accessible to
the public, as is most of the abandoned section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike that
includes them.
On the western end of the old roadway, you cannot travel beyond a section marked
off with jersey barriers. This section begins behind the Ramada Inn (Breezewood).
On the eastern end of the old roadway, you cannot travel beyond Pump(ing)
Station Road. As with it's western counterpart, this end is clearly
marked. I have found the name of this road to be both "Pump Station
Road" and "Pumping Station Road." Which name it
actually is does not matter. It is still the eastern end of the S.A.C.
property.
UPDATED 11/16/05:
Effective last month, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission ordered and carried
out the removal of the bridges of the old turnpike that crossed U.S. Route 30 in
Breezewood, as well as the Pumping Station Road overpass at the eastern terminus
of the old roadway. By doing so, the P.T.C. has inconvenienced visitors to
the western end of the old roadway, however they have now prevented two
potential vehicular access points to the old roadway. Since vehicular
traffic by the public is strictly prohibited on the roadway and in the tunnels,
this move will make the 10-mile stretch of the trail safer.
more information - click here.
The Southern Alleghenies Conservancy owns and controls the old roadway and the tunnels (Ray's Hill and Sideling Hill ... NOT Laurel Hill). The S.A.C. purchased the abandoned property from the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission in 2001 for $1.
YES. Ray's Hill tunnel and Sideling Hill tunnel have been recently declared structurally sound and safe to enter. There are minor issues with cracking and rough spots on the roadway surface in the tunnels. In the case of Sideling Hill, water seepage causes the tunnel to sometimes become impassable in the winter time due to ice buildup. The S.A.C. is currently deciding how to prevent further damage inside the tunnels due to loose bits of concrete. Visit their website to review their plans.
On a lighthearted note: if you have been watching General Hospital during the month of November 2005, you may be thinking twice about taking a hike or bike ride through the abandoned tunnels on the old turnpike. Do not worry! General Hospital is big-time overplaying the story line about two trains colliding inside a half-century old tunnel, including explosions and parts of the tunnel collapsing. Their story line is beyond belief.
The abandoned turnpike tunnels are NOTHING like the fictionist tunnel on the soap opera!
Neither the Ray's Hill nor Sideling Hill tunnels are illuminated. Bring a strong flashlight with you. An ordinary flashlight will not do a lot for you inside the tunnels. Ray's Hill is short enough that you can see the light at the opposite end the entire way through. Sideling Hill is over 6700 feet long and has a slightly raised crown in the middle. This prevents you from seeing light at entire end of the tunnel when you are in the center. Look at your local Wal-Mart store for a one or two million candlepower rechargeable flashlight. They are under $20 and could prove useful for your adventure through the tunnels.
UPDATE - August 2005: S.A.C. authorities are working on proposals and plans to illuminate Ray's Hill Tunnel with LED style lighting. It will not be very bright inside but will provide a pleasant light and help visitors more safely pass through the tunnel. If funding is available and the plan works for Ray's Hill, then Sideling Hill will also receive these low-voltage LED lights.
Since the answer to this question seems to be everywhere on the Internet, I will not rehash all of the routes you would use to legally reach the Ray's Hill Tunnel or Sideling Hill Tunnel. The best-written directions I find on the Internet are located on Brian Troutman's page. You can find the exact web address in the "links" page on this website or visit www.briantroutman.com for further details.
The Southern Alleghenies Conservancy has permitted some people to drive
through the old tunnels, however this is on an extremely limited basis.
This is mainly due to the fact that the trail has been open since 2001 to
pedestrian and bicycle traffic. No motorized vehicles are allowed on the
trail.
In no situation that I can document, has anyone been given permission to drive
the tunnels on their own or just because they are curious. A group that
has gotten permission to drive the tunnels, with a guide and representative of
the S.A.C., is the SWPA. Brian
Troutman tells the story, including pictures, at his website.
Please visit his site -- you will really like seeing inside the work areas of
the tunnels: the rooms upstairs, the ventilation room, and the
"tunnel above the tunnel." If you have no idea what lies
directly behind the face of the tunnel portals, Brian's site will enlighten you.
UPDATED 11/16/05: Effective last month, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission ordered and carried out the removal of the bridges of the old turnpike that crossed U.S. Route 30 in Breezewood, as well as the Pumping Station Road overpass at the eastern terminus of the old roadway. By doing so, the P.T.C. has inconvenienced visitors to the western end of the old roadway, however they have now prevented two potential vehicular access points to the old roadway. Since vehicular traffic by the public is strictly prohibited on the roadway and in the tunnels, this move will make the 10-mile stretch of the trail safer.
NO. Without prior special permission from the SAC authorities, no motorized vehicles are permitted on the trail or in the tunnels. Stories are frequently told about people who have driven cars and trucks on the old turnpike. Please note the many people illegally drove on the abandoned roadway prior to it being made available for public access. Others have been granted special permission from the P.A. Turnpike authorities and/or the SAC. These permissions are not commonly granted.
The Laurel Hill Tunnel and the bypassed section of roadway that connects to it are NOT open to the public and never have been. Visitors to this area can be detained and fined as trespassers. The Pennsylvania Turnpike still owns and privately leases out the Laurel Hill tunnel and the adjoining roadway.
Jeanmarie R. Ward responded to an e-mail that was sent to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, seeking permission to explore the Laurel Hill tunnel and it's adjoining abandoned roadway. Please click here to read the reply that was received.
Go back to the home page of this website and click on the "current usage" tab under Laurel Hill Tunnel. The answer has been found.
While the author of this page has not personally tried using his cell phone along the old roadway, it has been commonly mentioned that cell phones do work in that area. This is most likely due to the close proximity of the old roadway to the current routing of the turnpike. Emergencies, accidents and break-downs on the modern routing of the turnpike are reported by cell phone using *11.
Part of the originally bypassed route is currently used for the Interstate 70 interchange. The western-most point of the bypassed route that is legally accessible begins behind the Ramada Inn (Breezewood). To access the old roadway, park in the rear of the building (they do allow you to do this but be respectful and park as far away as possible) and walk down the way to the old pavement. From there, you may only legally walk east (left). To the right (facing west) is the area that remains property of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. This area is used for storing the concrete jersey barriers. Beyond that point also is the connection to the modern alignment of I-70 and I-76. The police and authorities do patrol this area and can cite you for trespassing.
UPDATED 11/16/05: Effective last month, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission ordered and carried out the removal of the bridges of the old turnpike that crossed U.S. Route 30 in Breezewood, as well as the Pumping Station Road overpass at the eastern terminus of the old roadway. You can no longer reach the western terminus of the old turnpike by entering the roadway behind the Ramada Inn in Breezewood.
The eastern-most point that you may travel on the old roadway is Pumping Station Road. This road passes under the abandoned roadway, east of the location of the old Cove Valley Travel Plaza. The underpass is very narrow and littered with graffiti. As with the western end of the abandoned roadway, jersey barriers block off access beyond this point. The roadway east of Pumping Station Road remains property of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. This area is used for storing the concrete jersey barriers. The police and authorities do patrol this area and can cite you for trespassing.
The Southern Alleghenies Conservancy recently announced their possible plans for the future improvements of the tunnels and abandoned roadway ...
Improvements that are said to be in the works include:
- Adding trailheads to the entrances of the trail
- Relighting the tunnels which are currently completely dark inside
- Repaving one of the four lanes for better accessibility for rollerblading
- Placing restrooms along the trail and/or at the trailheads
- Sealing the tunnels so as to avoid water seepage
- Smoothing out rough spots on the pavement in the tunnels
This answer is strictly the opinion of your webmaster. I doubt it.
Simply stated, the Laurel Hill right-of-way that was bypassed, including the old tunnel, is less than three miles in length. While Laurel Hill is a relatively remote location just like it's sister bypass, it is in a location that is not welcoming to visitors. A lot of the land around the tunnel and old roadway is private property. Whereas, much of the land surrounding the Ray's Hill/Sideling Hill bypass is a state forest. Private property does exist in this area as well, but you are welcome on most of the state property.
By comparison, Ray's Hill and Sideling Hill, along with the abandoned roadway that connects them, is approximately 9.7 miles in length. This is more the distance of most bicycle/multi-purpose trails.
Laurel Hill is surrounded by the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The turnpike is the western portal's border as well as the border on the eastern end as well. The bypass route travels on the north side of the old roadway. No other "public" roads reach the tunnel portals. Being that visitors to Laurel Hill would have to pay to travel the turnpike and have no way to turn around to return the way they came, this makes this stretch of abandoned roadway nowhere near as desirable to visit.
Those of us who enjoy the outdoors, including bicycling and walking, would find the under three mile stretch of roadway, which includes the distance inside the tunnel, to be a almost too short to make it worth the drive to make a visit.
Don't get me wrong, I would love to legally visit the abandoned Laurel Hill bypass and tunnel, but it would not be as enjoyable as Ray's Hill and Sideling Hill.
Visit this website and you will see what Laurel Hill's eastern portal looks like today (August 2005) ... Laurel Hill Tunnel - Eastern Portal - what does it look like?.
If you would like to visit the Laurel Hill area and would like to share your thoughts on why the P.T.C. should allow the public to visit and hike the old roadway and tunnel, please share your thoughts with us at: or . This is an open forum and your thoughts and opinions are welcome.
According to the official word on the S.A.C. website, the removal of the U.S. Route 30 overpass on the old turnpike in Breezewood, as well as the removal of the Pump(ing) Station Road overpass, will NOT affect access to the old roadway. Apparently, the P.T.C. wants to remove these bridges for safety concerns and probably upkeep maintenance costs. Both the P.T.C. and S.A.C. groups are working together on this project and will ensure that foot bridges or other pedestrian-safe crossings will be put into place for visitors to the old roadway and tunnels to use.
UPDATED 11/16/05: Both bridges are now removed.
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This page was created on:
June 7, 2005
(first page created for this website)
Last updated on:
August 09, 2014.
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