Ray's Hill Tunnel
| County | Bedford/Fulton |
|---|---|
| Length | 3,532 ft |
| Opened | 1 October 1940 |
| Closed | 26 November 1968 |
Ray's Hill Tunnel (often written without the apostrophe as Rays Hill, including on the tunnel's original lettering) is one of the Lost Tunnels of Septempontia. It was bypassed along with Sideling Hill Tunnel and Cove Valley Service Plaza in 1968.
Ray's Hill was the shortest of the seven original tunnels on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The nearest other tunnel, Sideling Hill, was the longest.) It is so short that one can see the light at the end from either entrance, and only one end (the west) was equipped with ventilation machinery, as that was sufficient.
Closure
The tunnel closed on 26 November 1968 when the new alignment of the Turnpike opened, bypassing it and Sideling Hill Tunnel. The tunnel formed part of the STAR Facility. Ray's Hill was used for the testing of unleaded gasoline owing to its short length, which made ventilation less difficult. Additionally, the road leading out of the western portal is scored with rumble strips, which were also tested there.
In 2001, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission sold most of the abandoned Turnpike to the Southern Alleghenies Conservancy for $1, and the Tunnel became open to hikers and bicyclists.
Rediscovery
The first recorded visit to the Tunnel by a Septempontian took place on 30 July 2004 by Shawn Knight, who stopped there briefly to take a photograph as United States Army soldiers were training for deployment in Iraq. The commanding officer present asked a few troops to step aside for a moment so Shawn could get a souvenir picture; the exercises were known to the public in general (but not to Shawn in particular).
A few days later, on 7 August, knowing that military exercises were not happening, a party of explorers (Shawn Knight, Alan Caum, Greg Gollinger, and Jackie Cipa) visited the Abandoned Turnpike again. After rediscovering and reclaiming Sideling Hill Tunnel earlier that day, the group walked through Ray's Hill Tunnel from its western portal to its eastern one. Ray's Hill thus became the first of the Lost Tunnels to be traversed by Septempontians since the founding of the Empire.
Visiting Ray's Hill
Visiting Ray's Hill is very safe and completely legal, thanks to the purchase of the abandoned Turnpike by the Southern Alleghenies Conservancy.
The western portal
Take the Turnpike to Breezewood (Exit 161). Take the right fork when following the spur road from the interchange, to head towards US-30 East, signed for Chambersburg and Gettysburg. You will pass the site of the former Ramada Inn, which kindly permitted visitors to the Tunnels to use their parking lot and restrooms. As the ramp puts you onto US-30 East, the Ramada site will be on your right, the Quality Inn and then Mt. Zion Lutheran Church and its cemetery will be on your left.
Just past the church, you will see the fork where Tannery Road starts to the left. Between US-30 and Tannery road at the fork is a dirt/gravel patch which can accommodate a number of parked cars, from which a small dirt footpath leads up the hill. Park there and climb the footpath to the surface of the Abandoned Turnpike.
Although the condition of this section has varied over the years since the Conservancies acquired it, generally there will be "Pike 2 Bike" or similar signs indicating that bicycles and hikers are welcome but not motor vehicles, and jersey barriers arranged to ensure cars cannot get through.
From here, the Tunnel is about 20 minutes away on foot. Simply follow the old Turnpike (there are a number of curves, but the road is unmistakable) until you reach it. Do not venture off the narrow shoulder of the road to either side; you will be trespassing on private property (and some of the local residents are not as friendly as others on this subject).
The eastern portal
The recommended way to reach the eastern portal is to go to the western portal and continue walking or biking through the Tunnel.
It is possible to drive from a location between Ray's Hill and Sideling Hill, turn towards Ray's Hill, and come close to the abandoned road, but this involves driving on a private road and the owner is reportedly not particularly supportive of such activities.
If you really want to see the eastern portal of Ray's Hill but do not wish to actually go through the Tunnel, you should instead start at the western portal of Sideling Hill and travel the roughly five miles to Ray's Hill, on foot or by bicycle. See the Sideling Hill article for details.
Walking through the Tunnel
Walking through Ray's Hill is much quicker and less "scary" than walking through Sideling Hill since it is much shorter. In any decent daylight, the light at the opposite end of the tunnel can be seen before you enter one end. Other than being cautious about watching your step (you never know where there might be broken glass or rusty metal) there should be nothing particularly difficult about the trip.
On one visit to Ray's Hill in the middle of winter it was noticed that a pretty strong and cold wind blew through the tunnel from west to east, making the return trip a bit unpleasant. Dress warmly. It was invigorating, though.
External Links
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