Ron15533
Registered User
(7/18/05 12:44 pm)
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Local Resident W/Abandoned Pike Info
I was looking for history and old pictures of the abandoned pike and I came across this forum today and thought I would offer my stories and also offer assistance to anyone needing it. My parents bought property next to the west end of the Rays Hill tunnel in 1971 when I was 5 years old so I grew up exploring and playing on the pike my entire life. At the time, I never realized how lucky I was to grow up with this in my backyard. I now own a house and 15 acres that border the old pike as well which allows my family to enjoy the pike also. A portion of the old South Penn Railroad runs through my property near the entrance to the Rays Hill tunnel.
As a kid, my friends and I spent hours and hours exploring the old pike and the tunnels. We would regularly take all day bike rides covering the entire length past the old Cove Plaza and often get off there and go on into Houstontown to play pinball and pool at Hahn's service station (which is now closed). As we got older and progressed into dirt bikes, we raced up and down the pike and we would often have to make quick exits off of the pike onto trails when the State Troopers would make their patrols or they would be using the pike as a shortcut from Sideling Hill to Breezewood for lunch or supper time. We perfected our wheelie riding on the pike as well, but when you made a mistake, the blacktop could be unforgiving. I remember my mother dressing my wounds a few times and extracting gravel from my skinned up knees. In our late teenage years, we moved up to street bikes and we would race up and down the pike, testing the limits of our bikes at speeds that the old pike had not seen in years. I could go on and on about our adventures but I better quit incriminating us! In 34 years of using the pike, luckily, my friends and I never had to pay any fines for trespassing, unlike a few others whose stories that I read on this forum. The pike is now patrolled daily by DCNR and PA Game Commission, as opposed to the occasional State Trooper back in those days, so you definitely do not want to take a motorized vehicle on there now. They caught some four-wheelers on it last summer and the fines were around $700 a piece.
There is a lot going on with the abandoned pike now, so I will try to pass along what I know. As many already know, the pike was sold to SAC (Southern Alleghenies Conservancy) and is now being converted to a bike trail (Bike2Pike). I attend their meetings to keep up to date on the progress and to provide any input as an adjacent landowner and as an enthusiast who would like to see others enjoy this valuable resource as much as I do. A study of the pike was just completed by Gannett Fleming and they held a meeting last week to give their findings and recommendations. The development of the trail is estimated to cost $2.8 million and they are hoping to acquire state and federal funding to accomplish their goals. The plan is to repave the road surface so that it can be used for skateboarding, rollerblading as well as hikers and bikers. Horseback riding is also being considered. Since there are two 2-lanes, divided by a grassy median, it can be separated into different uses. The tunnels are still structurally sound overall but that is where most of the money is needed. The plan involves repairing the tunnels so that they are safe and also lighting the tunnels. This will take around $1.8 million, if I remember correctly. I personally would like to see them restored as close to original as possible. They are also planning trailheads at each end with visitor centers and more convenient parking accommodations. They are also looking at possible events such as art festivals, car shows, etc. to take place utilizing part of the roadway. This renovation project could take a few years to complete but they are already working on acquiring grants and other funding.
In the meantime, the pike is open to hikers and bikers to use "at your own risk" and there are no worries of being fined for trespassing anymore as long as your are not using a motorized vehicle. The tunnels are also open and passable but care needs to be taken due to some of the debris in them. The rooms, where the offices and equipment were, are very dangerous and are sealed off. The metal steps are rusting and the support hangers for the ceiling between the tunnel and the air shaft are rusting so it is not safe to go in these areas. The air shaft is also full of bats! These are things that will be repaired in the renovation. The Rays Hill tunnel is fairly easy to navigate since it is shorter and you can see in it fairly well, even without lighting. The Sideling Hill tunnel is much darker inside (it is twice as long as Rays Hill) and in the summer, the humidity makes it pretty foggy at times. A light should definitely be used if going through it. They both stay very cool and are a nice relief on a hot summer day. The pike will be closed on July 28-31 2005 and September 9 - 11 2005 due to the National Guard doing training but once the development is complete, they will no longer be training on it. Also, the PA Turnpike Commission is removing the bridge over SR 30 in September so you will no longer be able to access the pike from the Ramada Inn in Breezewood. They will also be removing the bridge at Pump Station Road in Fulton County so access at that end of the pike will be from the old Cove Plaza next to Pump Station Road. The trail heads and visitor centers will be developed beside these two removed bridge locations. Hopefully they will rebuild the Cove Plaza building and make it resemble the original building that stood there. I think it would be great to have the visitor center resemble the old Howard Johnson/Esso building.
If anyone needs any help finding the pike or any other questions, I will be glad to try and help out. You can reply to this post or email me at Radiotech15@Adelphia.net. I hope everyone enjoys the old pike as much as I have!
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