Road trip: The abandoned tunnels of I-70

This cool place is not close - it’s about a five-hour drive from Buffalo in fact. And it’s something I haven’t been to, but it’s definitely something I plan to see in the near future.

In 1968, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission decided to update I-70 by bypassing congested stretches of road. The result, a 13-mile stretch of highway including two of the highway tunnels which have been left abandoned.

The tunnels are no longer open for motor vehicles, but are open to the public. In fact, an organization called Pike2Bike is working on turning these tunnels and the abandoned highway into a bike trail. It’ll be a long time before the project is complete though. So for now, there’s no easy access to these tunnels.

The two tunnels are the Sideling Hill Tunnel and the Rays Hill Tunnel. The Sideling Hill Tunnel is the longest of the original tunnels on the turnpike. It’s 1.3 miles long! Because it’s unlit and on a strange angle, it’s pitch black in parts - you’ll definitely need a powerful flashlight here (from what I’ve read, ordinary flashlights are not good enough).

Here's two videos of the tunnels (from the rays-hill.com website). As you'll see, the roads haven't been repaired since the tunnels closed, so it’ll be rough going.

To get to the tunnels, it’s either a long walk or bike ride. Go here for directions.

Just FYI, there is one other tunnel and short stretch of highway that’s been abandoned. But that tunnel (the Laurel Hill Tunnel) and the separate abandoned stretch of highway that goes along with it are on private property and not open to the public. So do not go there (it’s even police patrolled). The other tunnels are the better ones to visit anyways based on online reports.

And if you visit the Sideling Hill & Rays Hill Tunnels, let me know what they’re like as I’m anxious to see them myself!