Fort+McHenry+Tunnel

Fort McHenry Tunnel

Lauryn Levin Phil Ross Ethan Wasserman

History— • When was the tunnel first built? The tunnel project started construction on May 7, 1980 • Why was it built? It was built to relieve some of the overwhelming traffic on the Harbor tunnel throughway • When was it first open to traffic? It was first open to traffic in November 23, 1985 • Has it been updated? Since it was built it closed for a two year, forty million dollar reconstruction project • Have there been any problems? As far as I have read there have been no substantial problems • What was the original cost? The Fort McHenry tunnel was once the most expensive underwater tunnel project in the United States at seven hundred and fifty million until it was surpassed by the Big Dig project in Boston • Did it cost money to pass through when it first opened? At first there was no toll because it was funded with one hundred percent federal aid • Does it cost money to pass through now? If so, how much? The current toll rate on the Fort McHenry tunnel, for both directions is two dollars, but two dollars per extra axle.

Construction— • Is the shape parabolic? Yes, it is composed out of tubes which are in fact parabolic • Why was a parabolic shape determined for use? At first they sought out to use a reinforced rectangular concrete design but the state fought for a tubular design for historical and functional purposes • How does it work? Fort McHenry was built by building and floating the tubes down the Baltimore harbor and sinking them into place • How many lanes? There are eight lanes on the Fort McHenry tunnel • What is the width of each of the lanes? The width per tube (two lanes) is twenty six feet from curb to curb • What types of barriers are used between lanes? The method of barriers used in the Fort McHenry tunnel are tubes that divide the eight lane tunnel into four tubes, each lane going in opposite directions • Is there a shoulder? What is its purpose and width? Bridges and tunnels do not have standard shoulder areas inside its actual structure • What is the clearance above the highest car permitted through the tunnel? The vertical clearance of the tunnel is sixteen feet • What is the height of the tallest point in the tunnel? It is uniformly sixteen feet tall throughout

Work Cited

"Interstate 895 (Maryland)." Wikipedia. Wikipedia. 13 Dec. 2007 .

Kozel, Scott. "Fort McHenry Tunnel." Roads of the Future. 7 Nov. 1999. 13 Dec. 2007 .

"Toll Facilities Q&A." MdTA. Maryland Transportation Authority. 13 Dec. 2007 .