Pittsburgh & Steubenville Extension Railroad Tunnel

Panhandle Tunnel

Overview
Location	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Coordinates	40°26′28″N79°59′48″W / 40.44111°N 79.99657°W / 40.44111; -79.99657
Status	in use
System	Pittsburgh Light Rail
Operation
Work begun	1863
Constructed	brick and cut stone
Opened	1865
Owner	Port Authority of Allegheny County
Technical
Length	1,440 feet (440 m)
No. of tracks	2 (1865–1965) 1 (1967–)
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) (1865–1980) 5 ft 2+1⁄2 in (1,588 mm) (1985–Current)
Electrified	1985
Highest elevation	740 feet (230 m)
Tunnel clearance	18.5 feet (5.6 m)
Route map
Legend Allegheny River Tunnel Gateway Wood Street Penn Station occasional use Steel Plaza This diagram: view talk edit

The Pittsburgh & Steubenville Extension Railroad Tunnel, also known as the Panhandle Tunnel, was originally built for the Pittsburgh and Steubenville Railroad in Pittsburgh. It officially opened for rail traffic in 1865.

History

The tunnel has been modified many times since it was first constructed. In the years after the construction the southern end was lengthened by 79.4 feet (24.2 m) to accommodate the overpass of Forbes Avenue. This new tunnel had a height of 19.5 feet (5.9 m), lower than the main tunnel. The southern end was again extended around 1900 to add a sidewalk to the road. This 19 feet (5.8 m) extension lowered the height of the tunnel to the current 18.5 feet (5.6 m). ^[1]

Light Rail

The tunnel and the adjacent Panhandle Bridge were purchased by the Port Authority from Conrail for $8.15 million in 1980. ^[2] The tunnel is now utilized by the Pittsburgh Light Rail System for some of its right-of-way and the Steel Plaza Station.^{[ citation needed ]}

See also

• List of tunnels documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in Pennsylvania
• Main Line (Pittsburgh to St. Louis)
• Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad

References

1. Yearby, Jean P. (1985). "Pittsburgh and Steubenville Extension Railroad Tunnel" (PDF). Historic American Engineering Record . Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. pp. 3–4. Retrieved May 18, 2025.
2. Ken Fisher (September 24, 1980). "Conrail turning tunnel, Panhandle Bridge over to PAT". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved August 12, 2011.

External links

• Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. PA-70, " Pittsburgh and Steubenville Extension Railroad Tunnel, Between Fifth and Sixth Streets, East of Grant Street, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, PA ", 8 photos, 6 data pages, 1 photo caption page