From staff reports
The Allegheny Valley Trails Association announced the Rockland Tunnel will be temporarily closed beginning Monday for the installation of a wall and industrial-sized overhead garage door on the eastern portal.
Blocking the end of the tunnel during colder months will help to further reduce damage to the historic tunnel’s tile ceiling caused by the freeze/thaw cycle, according to an Oil Region Alliance of Business, Industry and Tourism news release.
A standard size “man door” next to the overhead door will allow users to pass through in cold weather once the installation is complete, which is expected to take two weeks, the release said. During the construction phase, the public cannot pass through the tunnel and is asked to avoid the site for safety reasons.
A matching wall and doors are already designed for the western portal, but funds have yet to be obtained and no timeline has been established for that work.
Shingledecker’s Welding, of Franklin, is handling construction of the eastern portal wall and door at a cost of $74,000, paid for by the Frederick and Ellen Fair Memorial Trust.
“If this tunnel were to collapse, there would be a big gap in the trail,” said Harris, who is serving as project manager. “It would be very expensive and difficult to replace.” The ORA assists the Allegheny Valley Trails Association with grant writing and administration.
The Rockland Tunnel is on the Allegheny River Trail, 21 miles south of Franklin. It is 2,868 feet long and curved, requiring users to bring a flashlight when traveling through it. The trail is paved and part of the Erie to Pittsburgh Trail. The tunnel was opened in 1916 for railroad use and converted to a bike trail in 2003.
The parking area on the western portal was recently expanded. Parking, compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, was added through a Northwest Commission Greenways Grant funded by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. That grant also funded the design of the tunnel doors.
Bill Weller, Trails Association board president, said the organization has a lot of help with the maintenance of the trails, but “there are a lot of things to be done to help the trails that don’t include physical labor.”
Helping with social media for the trail system, improvements to retail offerings, and managing the Salt Box trailhead visitor center just downstream from Franklin and owned by Cranberry Township are just some suggestions.
Anyone interested in joining the Trails Association or serving on its board should contact the organization through its website: avta-trails.org. The board meets every other month at the Salt Box.
