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266:, Ltd. were awarded the contract to build the new tunnels in January 1919, and construction began shortly thereafter. On May 11, 1922, the boring of the tunnels was complete and in January 1924, the $ 6 million ($ 107 million in present dollars) Liberty Tunnels were opened to traffic. However, the tunnels were not yet complete and lacked a major component necessary to the project: ventilation.
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255:. This was known as the Bell Tavern plan, which was modified to create the Liberty Tunnels. The final plan for the tunnels shared the southern Bell Tavern portal, but followed a higher line to emerge on the north face of Mt. Washington. This plan required the construction of a new bridge, which was to become the Liberty Bridge.
202:. The tunnels were vital in the expansion of the South Hills suburbs by providing a direct route to the city, eliminating the time-consuming task of navigating around or over Mt. Washington and its inclines. Opening in 1924, the Liberty Tunnels are the longest automobile tunnel in the City of Pittsburgh.
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There was not yet a ventilation system when the tunnels opened, but authorities decided the flow of traffic would allow for a natural draft of ventilation. On May 10, 1924, a traffic jam occurred due to a
Pittsburgh Street Railway Company strike, which caused vehicles to be left stopped and idling in
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after passing through the tunnels. The design was two vertical wall horseshoe profile tunnels, each consisting of two lanes of traffic and a 4 ft (1.2 m) sidewalk. The sidewalks, being minimally used and in disrepair, were removed during a renovation in the 1970s in order to widen and
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As the Heinz
History Center points out, the Liberty Tunnels were the longest tunnels at that time built exclusively for automobiles. Nevertheless, they were not the first tunnel in the United States built exclusively for automobiles. A previous automobile tunnel, the Hill Street Tunnel in Los
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Following the completion of the
Liberty Tunnels, the Liberty Bridge was completed and linked to the tunnels on March 27, 1928. The bridge and tunnel combination gave motorists and pedestrians a direct route to the city without traveling over or around Mt. Washington.
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the tunnels. Several motorists passed out from the fumes emitted from the exhaust of the congested vehicles. For the safety of motorists, the number of vehicles permitted through the tunnels was regulated until a ventilation system was installed.
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were constructed very near this proposed area. Similarly, other residents wanted tunnels to be built in a valley behind Mt. Washington that led to
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Prior to the construction of the
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Floor slopes upward 0.329 percent grade to Saw Mill Run portal 20 ft (6.1 m) higher
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406:"The Digs: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | March 7, 1939: Liberty Tubes come to life The..."
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Each tunnel is 28.6 ft (8.7 m) wide and 20.75 ft (6.32 m) high to arch
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In 1941 it became the first tunnel in the world to provide AM radio reception throughout.
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Pittsburgh, as seen through the northern end of the
Liberty Tunnels in 1974
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Since August 1987 the tunnels have provided cellular phone reception.
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Pittsburgh
History & Landmarks Foundation Historic Landmarks
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Liberty Bridge ; P. J. McArdle
Roadway (Mt. Washington Roadway)
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History & Information | Mt. Lebanon, PA - Official
Website
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14 ft 6 in (4.42 m) posted vertical clearance
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545:"From the Archives: First car through Hill Street Tunnel"
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Pittsburgh & Steubenville
Extension Railroad Tunnel
494:"Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Google News Archive Search"
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469:"The Pittsburgh Press - Google News Archive Search"
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430:"Panic, deadly fumes inside the Liberty Tunnels"
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251:. They would follow a low line to exit at
223:increase the height of the traffic lanes.
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575:. (n.d.). Retrieved March 12, 2008, from
278:The ventilation plant on Mount Washington
16:Twin tunnels in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
518:Przybylek, Leslie (14 September 2016).
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367:Saw Mill Run Blvd ; West Liberty Ave
322:5,889 ft (1,795 m) in length
388:Angeles, was built 12 years earlier.
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685:Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Tunnel
325:Twin tunnels (1 inbound, 1 outbound)
928:1924 establishments in Pennsylvania
573:Mt. Lebanon History and Information
123:Twin Horseshoe Profile road tunnels
160:13 ft 6 in (4.11 m)
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590:Liberty Tunnels on pghbridges.com
170:Liberty Tunnels south end in 2004
840:Senator Robert D. Fleming Bridge
790:Glenwood B&O Railroad Bridge
760:Charles Anderson Memorial Bridge
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675:Mount Washington Transit Tunnel
331:Vertical wall horseshoe profile
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210:The tunnels were designed by
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680:North Shore Connector tunnel
740:33rd Street Railroad Bridge
300:Liberty Bridge (Pittsburgh)
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780:Fort Wayne Railroad Bridge
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923:Tunnels completed in 1924
850:South Tenth Street Bridge
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196:South Hills of Pittsburgh
136:5,889 feet (1,795 m)
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845:Smithfield Street Bridge
865:Roberto Clemente Bridge
765:David McCullough Bridge
571:Workmaster, Wallace F.
448:Pittsburghquarterly.com
91:40.429055°N 79.999419°W
805:Homestead Grays Bridge
524:Heinzhistorycenter.org
328:2 lanes in each tunnel
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198:and the city, beneath
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908:Tunnels in Pittsburgh
830:Panther Hollow Bridge
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239:. Later in 1959, the
227:Proposed alternatives
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96:40.429055; -79.999419
875:Rachel Carson Bridge
800:Highland Park Bridge
770:Fort Duquesne Bridge
700:Squirrel Hill Tunnel
444:"Once Upon A Tunnel"
432:. 22 September 2016.
309:Dimensions and specs
288:U.S. Bureau of Mines
820:McKees Rocks Bridge
286:With help from the
178:(also known as the
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870:Andy Warhol Bridge
745:40th Street Bridge
735:31st Street Bridge
730:30th Street Bridge
334:11 cross passages
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42:Other name(s)
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795:Greenfield Bridge
755:Birmingham Bridge
750:Bloomfield Bridge
550:Los Angeles Times
409:Pgdigs.tumblr.com
369:(Liberty Tunnels)
354:(Liberty Tunnels)
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342:(Liberty Tunnels)
336:(Liberty Tunnels)
241:Fort Pitt Tunnels
220:Monongahela River
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810:Hot Metal Bridge
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259:Construction
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233:W. M. Donley
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192:Pennsylvania
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62:Pennsylvania
529:24 November
503:24 November
478:24 November
453:24 November
414:24 November
270:Ventilation
249:Mt. Lebanon
237:Shalerville
186:located in
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69:Coordinates
902:Categories
392:References
188:Pittsburgh
82:79°59′58″W
79:40°25′45″N
58:Pittsburgh
557:12 August
377:Reception
361:Between:
128:Technical
120:Character
107:Operation
50:Location
37:Overview
723:Bridges
638:Tunnels
630:bridges
626:Tunnels
245:Dormont
184:tunnels
206:Design
133:Length
112:Opened
146:lanes
628:and
559:2023
531:2021
505:2021
480:2021
455:2021
416:2021
247:and
174:The
115:1924
144:of
142:No.
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