Puerto Suello Tunnel
A concrete portal of an arched tunnel
The north portal of the tunnel in December 2019
Overview
LocationSan Rafael, California
Coordinates37°59′21″N 122°31′45″W / 37.989201°N 122.529114°W / 37.989201; -122.529114
Statusin service
StartLincoln Avenue[1] / Los Ranchitos Road
EndHammondale Court
Operation
Opened1879 (1879)
Closed1985
Rebuilt1967
Reopened2017
OwnerSonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit
OperatorSonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit
CharacterCommuter rail tunnel
Technical
Track length1⁄4 mile (0.4 km)
No. of tracks1
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Lowest elevation50 feet (15 m) below surface

Puerto Suello Tunnel is a quarter-mile long rail tunnel in San Rafael, California. It was constructed in 1879, by the San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad.

Background

The 1⁄4 mile (0.4 km) long[2] tunnel was built in 1879[3] by the San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad.

It was partially destroyed in 1961 by a fire, which was set by two boys. The fire killed 23-year-old firefighter Frank Kinsler when his truck fell 50 feet into the chasm.[4] It was rebuilt for freight service in 1967, but was closed and boarded up in 1985 with the discontinuation of Northwestern Pacific Railroad services.[3][2] The state-owned North Coast Railroad Authority and the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District took ownership of the tunnel in the 1970s and was thereafter acquired by SMART in 2003.[3]

It was retrofitted by SMART for a cost of $3 million in 2015.[2] The 2017 California floods caused damage to the tunnel, delaying system's opening testing for three weeks.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 Prado, Mark (April 3, 2017). "Landslide risk in San Rafael halts SMART testing". Marin Independent Journal. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 Wood, Jim (February 2015). "A Tunnel's Second Act". Marin Magazine. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 Prado, Mark (March 18, 2015). "Puerto Suello Hill Tunnel for commute rail delayed". Marin Independent Journal. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Marin History Watch: San Rafael railroad tunnel collapse". Retrieved June 20, 2017.


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