J&L Tunnel is a tunnel on CSX Transportation's Pittsburgh Subdivision, at the former location of Jones and Laughlin Steel Company (now the SouthSide Works).

J&L Tunnel
Overview
LinePittsburgh Subdivision
LocationSouthSide Works, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Coordinates40°25′42″N 79°57′53″W / 40.42826°N 79.96467°W / 40.42826; -79.96467
SystemCSX Transportation
Operation
ConstructedAugust 1, 1882[1]August 19, 1883[2]
Technical
Length1,626 feet (496 m)[3]
No. of tracks1[4]
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Width24 feet (7.3 m)[3]

The tunnel was used to allow trains on the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad to bypass the Jones and Laughlin steel mill, by passing under it.

Starting in 2011,[5] work was performed, as part of CSX Transportation's National Gateway project, to raise the clearance inside the tunnel, allowing double-stacked container trains to pass through the tunnel.[3]

Above the tunnel is a small park called Tunnel Park.[6]

References

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  1. ^ "A Railroad Centre", Pittsburgh Commercial Gazette, p. 2, col. 3, August 14, 1883
  2. ^ "News Notes" (PDF), The Evening Post (2d ed.), New York, p. 3, col. 6, August 20, 1883
  3. ^ a b c "J & L Tunnel Design-Build Roof Reconstruction". ENR MidAtlantic. December 12, 2014.
  4. ^ "CSX Transportation J&L Tunnel Modification Project" (PDF). AREMA. 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  5. ^ "J&L Tunnel". National Gateway.
  6. ^ Schmitz, Jon (October 24, 2012). "South Side rail tunnel gains height in freight project". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
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