Ray's Hill Tunnel
From SeptemWiki
| County | Bedford/Fulton |
| Length | 3,532 ft |
| SPRR length | 3,534 ft |
| Opened | 1 October 1940 (Opening of Turnpike) |
| Closed | 26 November 1968 |
Ray's Hill Tunnel (often written without the apostrophe as Rays Hill Tunnel, 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. (Its "partner", 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.
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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.
A few days later, on 7 August, after rediscovering and reclaiming Sideling Hill Tunnel earlier that day, a party of explorers (Shawn Knight, Alan Caum, Greg Gollinger, and Jackie Cipa) walked through the Tunnel from its western portal to its eastern one. Ray's Hill thus became the first of the Lost Tunnels - or indeed any of the Turnpike Tunnels - to be traversed on foot by Septempontians.
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 and the friendly employees at the Ramada Inn in Breezewood.
The western portal
Take the Turnpike to Breezewood (Exit 161). Take the left fork when following the spur road from the interchange, to head towards Interstate 70 East and US-30 West. As you come off the ramps and pass under the road you were just on, pick any of the gas stations or restaurants on the right, and turn into the parking lot. Use it to turn around on US-30 and head back uphill, under the overpass once again.
Just after the underpass is the Ramada Inn. Turn right into their parking lot and park in the very back, out of the way. If they are busy, it is advisable to go to the hotel's front desk and ask if they mind you using their lot for a while. The staff are generally aware of the abandoned Pike and the Tunnel and will almost certainly not mind.
Standing in the back of the lot, you can look down the hill and see the abandoned Pike through the trees. There is a conveniently asphalted path, with steps cut into the hill, near the back-left corner of the lot (looking at it as one comes into the lot). Take that path down to the surface of the old Turnpike.
To your right, you can see barriers cutting the old Pike from the spur road (which was itself part of the old Pike) you just drove on. To your left is the way to the Tunnel. Start walking or biking. A jersey barrier partially blocks the way and indicates that no motor vehicles are permitted. You will shortly be on another overpass crossing US-30. From here, the Tunnel is about 20 minutes away on foot. Simply follow the old road until you reach it. Do not venture beyond the narrow shoulder of the road; 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. The light at the end of the tunnel can be seen before you are even in the tunnel. 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 (a scarf would have been nice).
