East Side Railroad Tunnel

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The eastern portal of the now-abandoned tunnel, below Gano Street. The doors have since been welded shut.

The East Side Railroad Tunnel is a railroad tunnel on the East Side of Providence, Rhode Island. The tunnel was opened on November 15, 1908. The tunnel runs 5080 feet, under College Hill, from Gano Street to Benefit Street. It is currently abandoned and sealed, but a project has been suggested to reuse the tunnel for either rail or bus use.

1 History
2 Specifications
3 Crook Point Proposal
4 External links

[edit] History

[edit] Construction

The tunnel was first envisioned in 1903 as a more direct connection to the old Union Station, in the center of Providence. Construction on the tunnel started in May 1906. One crew worked east from the Benefit Street entrance, and one crew worked west from the Gano Street entrance. The crews met on April 6, 1908 beneath Cooke St, one day earlier than expected. The tunnel was opened on November 15, 1908.

The project also included a Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge over the Seekonk River. The entire cost of the project, including the bridge, the tunnel, and the approach to Union Station, was two million dollars.

The tunnel also allowed the closing of the Fox Point railroad station, which had served the city for 73 years.

[edit] Operation

Originally the tunnel had 2 tracks, one of which was electrified for the electric trains to Bristol and Fall River. These trains ran until 1934, and in the 1950's the second track was removed, and the tunnel became used for freight trains. The ownership of the tunnel was transferred to the state of Rhode Island in 1981. The last train passed through shortly after that.

[edit] May 1st 1993

On May 1, 1993 a group of students gathered at the western end of the tunnel below Benefit Street, to celebrate Beltain-May Day. The students had fires, wore masks, and beat drums until early in the morning. College security officers tried to break up the party. The students claimed the officers had no jurisdiction in the tunnel. A fight broke out between one of the security officers and a student who refused to stop drumming.

The police were called, and by the time they had arrived, the party had grown even larger. The police tried to break up the party with tear gas, but the students responded by throwing rocks and bricks. The police finally broke up the party by forming a riot line, and surrounding the students.

The following day the police claimed that they had found "satanic rituals", and the tunnel was soon covered with corrugated steel, with small doors at ether end. These doors were later welded shut.

[edit] Specifications

The tunnel is 5080 feet long, height of tunnel 22 feet 3 inches over top of rail, and 30 feet wide. Cubic yards of excavation in tunnel, nearly 200,000. Variation of alignment when headings met, 3/8". The roof is made of reinforced concrete.

[edit] Crook Point Proposal

A proposal to develop Crook Point, a stretch of shoreline from the Interstate 195 bridge (Washington Bridge) to the Henderson Bridge, was made by Brown University graduate Richard Manchester. The proposal includes 400 housing units, 1,400 parking units and green open space. The plan would include a bus or tram running across the bridge and through the tunnel to bring people downtown. There might also be a stop in between the two ends of the line at Thayer Street, owing to Brown University's proximity and the shopping on Thayer Street.

In May 2006, Mayor David N. Cicilline outlined plans guiding the immediate development of the city of Providence. Among the salient points was a desire for the creation of a streetcar/light rail system. It seems likely that Transit 2020 (the group responsible for the planning of the future transportation system), will recommend utilizing the tunnel in the interests of saving space in the city, and reducing costs.

Providence 2020 Pages 24-25 (30-31 on pdf).