PINKERTON TUNNEL REHABILITATION

Southwestern Pennsylvania, the USA

The historic Pinkerton Rail Tunnel, originally built in 1911

to connect the former Western Maryland Rail-line to the

bustling Pittsburgh region, has been closed since the bike

trail opened in 1999.

In 2014, Armtec worked with Pittsburgh based engineering

consultants Gannett Fleming to rehabilitate the 270 meter

long concrete tunnel and eliminate the 2 ½ kilometer

detour. Working closely with the engineering

consultant Armtec proposed an 8.3 meter span x

6.8 meter rise corrugated structural steel liner

closely matching the inside dimensions of the

existing tunnel wall. In the spring of 2015 over

1000 plates were assembled into rings

and moved into place over the tunnel length.

By mid-August Geobuild had bolted together

and set in place the equivalent of almost three

football field lengths of Armtec corrugated plate

arch. The finishing touches to the tunnel end

walls were completed in early September.

On September 21, 2015, some 16 years after

the opening of The Great Allegheny Passage

bikers by the passed the detour and began

making their way direct through the historic

Pinkerton tunnel.

Above: tunnel before and after the rehabilitation

Owner:

Somerset County Rails-to-Trails

Association

Engineer:

Gannett Flemming, Pittsburgh

Contractor:

GeoBuild, Columbus, Ohio

Technical Description:

Product: Corrugated Steel

Plates, Two Radius Arch

Span: 8330 mm

Rise: 6810 mm

Length: 259 m

Installation: August 2015