About The Oldest Tunnel In America
Construction began in 1792 during the George Washington Administration
Union Canal Tunnel is the oldest tunnel in America. It is recognized as the oldest existing transportation tunnel in the United States by the American Society Of Civil Engineers (ASCE). It is also listed as the oldest existing tunnel in the United States by the U.S. National Park Service.
Union Canal Tunnel was a towpath canal that existed in southeastern Pennsylvania during the 19th century. First proposed in 1690 to connect Philadelphia with the Susquehanna River, it ran approximately 82 miles from Middletown on the Susquehanna below Harrisburg to Reading on the Schuylkill River. It was originally used for transportation of goods such as coal, iron, and lumber.
Construction began in 1792 during the George Washington Administration, but financial difficulties delayed its completion until 1827. Called the "Golden Link," it provided a critical early transportation route for shipping anthracite coal and lumber eastward to Philadelphia.
The tunnel cost $30,404.29 in total but would add another $8,280 due to reducing the length of the bridge to 600 feet instead of 729 because of the canal enlargement. Closed in the 1880s, remnants of the canal remain, most notably the Union Canal Tunnel.
The tunnel was restored in the 1990s and is now open to visitors who can take a guided tour of the tunnel and learn about its history and construction. The tunnel measures approximately 729 feet in length.
The Union Canal Tunnel was designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1970. In 1974 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. And in 1994 it was designated a National Historic Landmark by the United States Department of the Interior.
The tunnel is now owned by the Lebanon County Historical Society and maintained by The Friends of Union Canal Tunnel Park. Together with the original property, the Union Canal Tunnel Park is comprised of 110 acres of recreational open space, three historical locks, trails, wooded areas, the canal, and farmlands.
Today, the Union Canal Tunnel is preserved as a historic site and is open to visitors interested in learning about its role in Pennsylvania's transportation history. It is now part of the Union Canal Tunnel Park, which includes walking trails and interpretive displays about the canal and its significance.
The tunnel's legacy lives on as a symbol of Pennsylvania's transportation history and the importance of early canal systems in the development of the United States. Presently, Union Canal Tunnel and surrounding park provide visitors with an opportunity to learn about the canal era and its impact on American society and economy.
*Note: The Le Boudoir tunnel built in 1844 in Brooklyn, NY is the oldest tunnel under any city street in North America and the world's oldest subway tunnel. The Staple Bend tunnel built in 1833 in Johnstown, PA is the oldest railroad tunnel. However Union Canal Tunnel, built in 1827, is older than both and is America's oldest tunnel of any kind.