Washburn Tunnel

The Washburn Tunnel is a two-lane underwater motor-vehicle tunnel connecting Galena Park and Pasadena, two suburbs of Houston, Texas. Completed in 1950, it travels north-south underneath the Houston Ship Channel. It was named after Harris County, Texas Auditor Harry L. Washburn. It is the largest and first toll-free vehicular tunnel in the Southern United States.[2]

Washburn Tunnel
Overview
LocationUnderneath the Houston Ship Channel
StatusOpen
RouteFederal Road
Operation
Work begun1945
OpenedMay 1950
OperatorHarris County Toll Road Authority[1]
TollFree
Technical
Length3,791 ft (1,155 m)
No. of lanes2
Washburn Tunnel
LocationHarris County, Texas, USA
Coordinates29°43′35″N 95°12′43″W
Architectural styleVarious
NRHP reference No.08000316
Added to NRHPApril 16, 2008

Overview

The Merritt Chapman and Scott Corporation of New York built the $7 million project. First, a trench 90 ft (27 m) by 40 ft (12 m) had to be dug. Second, the sections had to be locked into position 85 feet underwater. Finally, the last touches, such as tiling the inside, were completed.[3]

It is the only underwater vehicle tunnel currently in operation in the state, as the Baytown Tunnel was replaced in 1995 by the Fred Hartman Bridge.[4] The tunnel consists of a single bore, 895 meters (2,909 feet) in length, with a six-percent roadway grade outward from the center towards each exit. Forced transverse ventilation is potentially provided by three automatic high-speed Westinghouse Sturtevant blower fans located in a tower at the north entrance. These fans are designed to keep the air free from high-levels of carbon monoxide.

In the event of electrical failure, a generator can support the electrical needs of the tunnel. Every twelfth light is powered by a generator. The light intensity at the portals is three times brighter than the interior. This prevents temporary blindness when entering the tunnel.

Pumps located under the road surface counter accumulation of water by draining it back into the ship channel. Before Hurricane Ike in 2008, the tunnel had never been flooded.

The tunnel is one of five vehicular crossings of the Ship Channel. The other four are the Sidney Sherman Bridge, popularly known as the (Interstate) 610 or Ship Channel bridge; the Sam Houston Ship Channel Bridge, formerly the Jesse Jones Toll Bridge and popularly known as the Beltway 8 Bridge; the Fred Hartman Bridge connecting La Porte, Texas and Baytown, Texas; and the Lynchburg Ferry. The tunnel is also the only twenty-four-hour operation in Precinct Two.

The tunnel was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 16, 2008.[5]

On March 1, 2020, operations of the Washburn Tunnel, along with the Lynchburg Ferry, were transferred from Harris County Precinct 2 to the Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA).[6] There are no plans for HCTRA to implement tolls either the Washburn Tunnel or the Lynchburg Ferry. Nevertheless, HCTRA's involvement will include plans to improve the operations of both facilities, as well as much-needed repairs and upgrades.

Specifications

Total Cost: $7,683,915 (1950)

Total Length: 3,791 Ft.

Distance between Portals: 2,936 Ft.

Length of Tube Section: 1,500 Ft.

Roadway Width: 22 Ft.

Headroom (each lane): 13 Ft.

Headroom (center Lane): 18 Ft.

Internal Diameter of Tubes: 32 Ft.

External Diameter of Tubes: 38 Ft.

Max. Grade: 6%

Max. Dept (Water to top): 45 Ft.

Max. Dept (Water to roadway): 68 Ft.

Max. Dept (water to bottom): 80 Ft.

Dredging: 425,273 cu. yards

Excavation: 289,600 cu. yards

Tremie Concrete: 11,750 cu. yards

Concrete: 34,250 cu. yards

Steel in tubes: 2,373 tons

Ceramic Tile: 1,061,000

Number of fans: 3

Max Ventilation: 760,000 cfm

Complete Air Exchange: 2 minutes

References
  1. The Washburn Tunnel Harris County Toll Road Authority (Retrieved 19 August 2020)
  2. "Washburn Tunnel". Harris County Precinct 2. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  3. James Baughn and contributors. "Merritt-Chapman & Scott Corporation". Bridgehunter.com: Historic Bridges of the United States. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  4. "Welcome to the Houston-Galveston Navigation Channel Project Online Resource Center". United States Army Corps of Engineers. December 2005. Archived from the original on January 9, 2009. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  5. "Texas SP Washburn Tunnel". National Archives Catalog. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  6. Toll Road Authority Takes Control Of Washburn Tunnel, Lynchburg Ferry Houston Public Media (KUHF-FM, News 88.7). 1 March 2020 (Retrieved 19 August 2020)
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