Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
November 29, 1957 A pair of two-lane road tunnels built southeast of downtown Baltimore was officially inaugurated. These 1.4-mile (2.3-kilometer)-long tunnels, collectively known as the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel, carry Interstate 895 under the Patapsco River. Theodore McKeldin, who was governor of Maryland from 1951 to 1959, presided at the opening ceremonies for the Baltimore Harbor... Continue Reading →
October 2, 1872 The Denver, South Park and Pacific Railway (DPSP&P) was incorporated with 2.5 million dollars in capital in what was then the Colorado Territory. The original trustees for this narrow gauge railway were Walter S. Cheesman, Frederick A. Clark, Henry Crow, Leonard H. Eicholtz, John Evans, John Hughes, Charles B. Kountze, Donald H.... Continue Reading →
August 15, 2019 A road tunnel in northwestern Colombiaâs department (subdivision) of Antioquia was officially opened to motor vehicle traffic. The TĂșnel de Oriente serves as a key link between MedellĂn, which is the capital of Antioquia and Colombiaâs second largest city, and JosĂ© MarĂa CĂłrdova International Airport in the city of Rionegro. The public... Continue Reading →
August 4, 1902 The Greenwich Foot Tunnel, which crosses beneath the River Thames in East London, England, made its debut. This tunnel, connecting the district of Greenwich in the south with the Isle of Dogs to the north, was designed by civil engineer Sir Alexander Binnie (1839-1917). The Greenwich Foot Tunnel replaced a costly and too... Continue Reading →
June 26, 2007 Work began on a railway tunnel in the municipality of BÓrum, a western suburb of Norwayâs capital city of Oslo. A drilling and blasting method was used for creating this tunnel, which is now the major portion of the 4.2-mile (6.7-kilometer) Asker Line. The first dynamite salvo for the project was fired... Continue Reading →
April 18, 1965 A funicular railway serving Greeceâs capital city of Athens was inaugurated. Regular operations for this means of public transit began the following day. This railway, which is located in the central section of Athens, was built by the Greek National Tourism Organization to carry people up and down a steep limestone hill... Continue Reading →
February 28, 2015 A newly built railway station was opened in the city of Delft in the Netherlandsâ province of South Holland. This city has played a huge role in Dutch history over the centuries and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Netherlands. Delft -- located between Rotterdam to the southeast... Continue Reading →
December 30, 2019 The Ryfylke Tunnel in western Norwayâs Rogaland county was officially opened to traffic. This tunnel -- encompassing one tube for each direction and two vehicular lanes in each of those tubes -- carries Norwegian National Road 13 under a body of water called Horgefjord (part of the vast fjord known as Boknafjord).... Continue Reading →
December 13, 1969 In northeastern Argentina, an underwater road tunnel was officially opened between the provinces of Entre RĂos and Santa Fe. This tunnel, measuring 7,864 feet (2,397 meters) in length, carries National Route 168 across the ParanĂĄ River. The tunnel serves as a link between Entre RĂos provinceâs capital city of ParanĂĄ and an... Continue Reading →
March 18, 1834 The first railway tunnel in the United States made its formal debut in west-central Pennsylvania as part of the infrastructure for the Allegheny Portage Railroad. The Staple Bend Tunnel was specifically built between the borough of Conemaugh (the present-day city of Johnstown) and the settlement (now borough) of Hollidaysburg. At the time of... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 