Five Minute Histories: The Harbor Tunnel

Join us today to discover the fantastic engineering of the Harbor Tunnel, built almost 65 years ago. Although not the first of its kind, the Harbor Tunnel builders used previous ingenuity and mixed in some of their own to create the tunnel we know and love today. The next time you go underneath the Patapsco River, you’ll have so much to tell your fellow passengers. Thanks for watching!
This is our series called "Five Minute Histories." We record short videos about different historic places all over Baltimore and post them on our Facebook page, RUclips channel, and website. For more information or to become a member of Baltimore Heritage, check out: baltimoreheritage.org/support/

[@bradjtrains]

I was in drivers ed in 1990. The text book was from the 1950's and featured the "Newly opened Baltimore Harbor Tunnel". I always laughed at that. I also remember the ticket books and my father would always replenish his at the toll booths.

[@1972Ray]

I was one of the first people to use the EZpass. It was sent to me during testing.

[@MrKimmie129]

I remember being a small child in the 70's, driving through the Harbor Tunnel, the walls and ceiling were black and there were police that walked along the wall and had little boxes they would go in sometimes with window. I remember the pass through so the police could go from one side to the other.

[@user-bu8ne2kf9u]

During WWII my uncle was a deep sea diver in the navy's underwater demolition team..When he was discharged and returned home from the war he went into underwater construction...He was an underwater welder, burner and fitter working on the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel, Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnels and the Mc Henery Tunnel as well as both Chesapeake Bay Bridges...He also worked on many of the other bridge construction and bridge inspections in the DelMarVa area.
I have a few photos of him as a diver on some of these projects and remember him telling me about the process of the construction on these projects...Thanks for making this 5 min memory.

[@baltimoreheritage1006]

Thank you to your family for all you have done!

[@craigphillips-1]

Not that we should ever doubt you... But this was far more interesting than expected! Thank you, again!

[@baltimoreheritage1006]

Haha thank you!

[@sharonlutz3543]

My uncle worked on building the Harbor Tunnel!
I remember driving through it the first week of its opening when I was only 6 or 7 years old! My Dad had a car full of kids and my uncle as we drove through it!😁😁

[@baltimoreheritage1006]

What a fun memory!

[@cpzilliacus]

The image in the video from the Hampton Roads area is Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel on I-664 between the cities of Newport News and Suffolk.
It is NOT the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel on US-13 between the city of Virginia Beach and Northampton County on Virginia's Eastern Shore.

[@baltimoreheritage1006]

Thanks for the correction!

[@genmetzger7445]

Love these.

[@UncleSam-USofA]

Thank you for these

[@TheLucindamaria]

Loved it! I find the Baltimore Tunnels quite fascinating. My favorite engineering feat of all time? Wheeling, West Virginia on the Ohio River. (Sorry. You did ask.)

[@baltimoreheritage1006]

We'll have to look into that!

[@mberry593]

Very interesting. Thanks for doing this.

[@baltimoreheritage1006]

Thank you for watching, Mike!

[@bonnicrisfulli1872]

Love your videos! I remember going through the Harbor Tunnel as a child and remember the traffic when there was an accident in there.
Could you do a video on the history of the old Baltimore Mills (Windsor Mill, Milford Mill, Owings Mill, Painters Mill etc.)?

[@baltimoreheritage1006]

We will add them to our list! Thank you for watching :)

[@billm.2677]

Great info, I recall presentations and bus tours that were taken through the Fort McHenry tunnel.
Information on these constructions is amazing.
In my younger driving days, I really hated traveling the Harbor Tunnel.

[@Taconix]

I remember the tunnel cops inside the tunnel waving the cars to speed up. Don't know when they stopped this practice.

[@paullubell4325]

When the traffic got so heavy, the cars could not speed up

[@paullubell4325]

Also, it was considered to be a health hazard from all the exhaust fumes.

[@PhyllisFung]

Omer comin'!

[@KH6DAN]

When we were kids the joke was .. "Hey! Did you hear about the Harbor Tunnel? The whole thing was under water this morning!"

[@friendoftellus5741]

That guy was a genius, wasn't he !!! ❤😊💎

[@bronco302aod]

I would like to see videoon the key bridge

[@baltimoreheritage1006]

Thanks--we'll add it to our list!

[@desivideshi8372]

👌🏻👍🏻🫡 thanks for your research and sharing it.

[@baltimoreheritage1006]

Thanks for watching!

[@desivideshi8372]

@@baltimoreheritage1006 can I use the knowledge shared by you in my RUclips short for this tunnel?

[@baltimoreheritage1006]

@@desivideshi8372 Absolutely!

[@desivideshi8372]

@@baltimoreheritage1006 thanks Sir