Laurel Hill Tunnel

This article is about the abandoned tunnel. For the hiking trail, see Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail.

Laurel Hill Tunnel is a 4,541-foot-long (1,384 m) tunnel on the Pennsylvania Turnpike that was bypassed and abandoned in 1964. It is bored through Laurel Ridge, spanning the border of Westmoreland and Somerset counties. Its western portal may be seen from the eastbound side of the Turnpike at milepost 99.3.

Laurel Hill Tunnel

Laurel Hill Tunnel in 1942
Overview
Line	South Penn abandoned
Location	Laurel Hill Westmoreland and Somerset counties, Pennsylvania
Coordinates	40°6′0.4″N 79°13′38.4″W
Status	Closed to traffic, leased to Chip Ganassi Racing for testing
Crosses	Laurel Hill
Operation
Work begun	1881, railway 1938, highway
Constructed	1881–1885, railway 1938–1940, highway
Opened	October 1, 1940
Closed	October 30, 1964, I-70/I-76
Owner	Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission
Technical
Length	5,450 ft (1,660 m), railway 4,541 ft (1,384 m), highway
No. of lanes	2

The tunnel was built for the never-completed South Pennsylvania Railroad, as were two other tunnels to its east—Sideling Hill and Rays Hill—that were similarly on the original Turnpike and abandoned after being bypassed.

Bypass

The point eastbound where the turnpike curves north (to the left) to bypass the Laurel Hill Tunnel. The abandoned tunnel can be seen where there is a path of trees removed from the top of the mountain. Notice the jersey barriers end with the beginning of a wide grassy median.

The tunnels on the Turnpike had been bottlenecks ever since the Turnpike's opening in 1940 due to reduced speeds and two-way traffic in a single tube. A second tube was added to four tunnels—Allegheny Mountain, Tuscarora Mountain, Kittatinny Mountain, and Blue Mountain—where it was the less expensive option.

Unlike the Sideling Hill and Rays Hill tunnels, the Laurel Hill Tunnel is not on the bypassed section commonly known as the Abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike and is still owned by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. It is not open to the public and is routinely patrolled by the Pennsylvania State Police for trespassers.

The highest point on the Turnpike, 2,603 feet (793 m), is on the Laurel Hill Tunnel bypass at Mile 100.45 in Somerset County.

Testing use

The tunnel is used by Chip Ganassi Racing for high-speed race car aerodynamic testing. The tunnel has been repaved, equipped with climate control, safety equipment, and data collection systems. The tunnel was first used for testing in 2004 to develop the G-Force Indycar.

See also

• Catesby Tunnel