If you live in, or near Oakland, CA, you probably know
Tunnel Road, the
road that climbs the west side of the canyon where Highway 24 goes through
its
four bores, or tunnels. It was the site of the
Oakland firestorm of 1991. If you're a cyclist, you've ridden it. Perhaps you've seen the historical
marker, shaded by an oak, about half-way up the hill, commemorating the
now-closed
Kennedy Tunnel,
or hiked in the eastern end of
Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve
and discovered that there's another, eastern
Old Tunnel Road
which terminates on the hillside there. Here's the origin story of the
road's name, the construction of the road that leads to either end of the
tunnel, along with a bit of snark. Follow the
Kennedy Tunnel
link, and read the articles linked at the bottom of this post to learn about
the interrupted history of the tunnel itself.
I did a "three tunnels" ride (photos, route) a few years ago, which featured both termini of this tunnel, as well as two others; the Oakland & Antioch Railroad tunnel, and of course the big show, the Caldecott Tunnel. An interesting feature of the ride up Tunnel Road is that it has a gentle grade to the site of the tunnel, but then kicks up, rising more steeply for a period of time. I appreciate the engineering that L. W. Kennedy did to maintain a consistent grade, which would have been beneficial for the farmers who would have used the road to bring their product west to Oakland, and to return home with their teams of horses. The extension of Tunnel Road to the new Skyline Boulevard was begun in 1915, I think very much to inspire the sale of automobiles and real estate, and you can tell that those road engineers were willing and able to build a steeper grade; it is steeper after the site of the Old Kennedy Tunnel.
Warning; the author of the 1879 article below blithely describes the
genocide of the original people that lived here.
See embedded articles at bottom for the original article used for this
post, and subsequent articles that tell the story of the eventual completion
of Kennedy Tunnel, the connection of Tunnel Road to the new Skyline and
Grizzly Peak Boulevards, the closure of the tunnel and the abandonment, on
the Contra Costa side, of the Old Tunnel Road, and nostalgia and
reminiscences about the Old Tunnel.
OVER THE HILLS.
The New Road of the Contra Costa Road and Tunnel Company - An Invitation Excursion Over the Route - Notes of the Trip.
The new road of the Contra Costa Road and Tunnel Company, designed to connect Oakland with the fruitful, but as yet isolated valleys of Contra Costa county, being well advanced, a party, by invitation of L. W. Kennedy, [familysearch record] Manager of the Company, left this city on Friday afternoon for a ran over the route on a tour of inspection and adventure. The gentlemen who accepted the invitation, which included carriages, were Mayor Andrus, Messrs. J. M. Miner, W. A. Walter and S. Milbury of the Council, City Engineer T. W. Morgan, Capt. Fletcher, J. F. W. Sohst, P. Pumyea, R. B. Hard and three or four others. The press was represented by a gawky individual who luxuriated in cheap cigars, a blue glass philosopher, and an attenuated young man who with due respect for his impersonality may be described as the Big Sun Flower. Manager Kennedy and J. R. Price, Engineer of the road, accompanied the party as guides and lecturers.
Councilman Hook being detained as a juryman in the United States Circuit Court was obliged to forego the pleasure of the trip.
ON THE ROAD.
The place of rendezvous was the City Hall, and at half-past one the signal to start was given, and the party took their way out Telegraph avenue. The air was cold and bracing, the teams fresh and mettlesome, and the procession bowled along at a lively rate until the mouth of Telegraph canyon was reached, a distance of about four miles. Here they turned sharply to the south, and took the new grade. The road winds along the south and west face of the hills, rising at a uniform grade of 208 feet per mile. For the first mile and a half it affords at all points a magnificent view of Oakland, Brooklyn, Alameda, Berkeley, the City and Bay of San Francisco, and out through the Golden Gate to the sundown line, the whole being spread out like a map at the feet of the observer. The old road can be seen winding its sinuous way along the bottom of the canyon hundreds of feet below. As it nears the old Chabot reservoir, which seems to be almost under it, so steep is the declivity, the road takes an easterly direction, and makes its way towards the heart of the range. The contour of the ground is decidedly mountainous, the abruptness of the ascent giving the country an appearance of much greater elevation than it really has, and making the scenery rather imposing.
I think the "old road" in this 1879 article was the road we now call
Chabot Road, which would have been the approach to this new Tunnel Road.
The Tunnel Road extension to Ashby Avevnue
hadn't been created yet. See
this georeferenced overlay
of the 1888
Map of the City of Oakland and Surroundings. Here is a screen shot with the site of the western end of the tunnel
Marked "A," the modern Tunnel Road marked "B," and Chabot Road marked "C."
You can just see the modern map under the georeferenced overlay. If you go
to the
URL, you can slide the opacity slider and zoom in and out.
DEPLOYED AS SKIRMISHERS.
After about two miles of this delightful riding a halt was called, and the word passed along the line that the bridges across the gulches were not finished beyond this point, and the rest of the journey must be made on foot. Leaving the teams in charge of some workmen, the whole party set out bravely, but the air being somewhat rarified and the temperature considerable higher than in the valley, several of the gentlemen who were handicapped with adipose fell by the way, and concluded to view the summit from a distance. A walk of about a mile and a half brought the more ambitious ones to the end of the grade, where, at an elevation of one thousand feet above tide water, and three hundred feet below the crown of the divide, it is proposed to pierce the ridge with a tunnel. The reporters were in at the death, although Capt. Fletcher was the first to reach the site of the tunnel's mouth. From this point looking back across the canyon, a profile view of almost the entire grade could be had, and directly opposite the portly form of Mayor Andrus could be seen reclining upon the bank. His Honor mopped his face with his handkerchief and viewed through a field glass he looked discouraged. A shout sent across the intervening chasm roused him. He slid down into the road, gazed at the hazy hillside, and took the back track.
ON THE TIP-TOP.
The reporters in company with engineers Morgan and Price, climbed to the summit and took a look at the outlet of the tunnel on the east side of the hill. The line marking the confines of Alameda county passes along this ridge, and THE TRIBUNE representative, standing in two kingdoms. inscribed his sign manuel on the boundary post marked station 26. From this boundary station the eye takes in at a sweep the whole bay from Point San Pablo to Alviso. Lake Merritt, the estuary and San Leandro bay are seen in the most minute detail, and a distinct idea can be had of the system of tidal basins which it is proposed to utilize in the improvement of Oakland harbor. The blue glass philosopher was fortunate enough to pick up an old flint arrow head, a relic of the days when the untutored Digger hunted the jackass rabbit on these rocky slopes, before the barbarian horde of Argonauts appeared upon the hills and shipped the languid native across the Charonian ferry. On the way back the summit climbers plunged down the hill and across the canyon, climbing up to the grade on the other side, this maneuver saving a great deal of distance, but involving a considerable strain on the extensor muscles of the lower limbs. The
ASPECT OF THE COUNTRY
Here is dreary. An occasional spring breaks out in the ravines and a few willows and alders cluster around them, but their genial influence extend but a few feet. Toward the summit the ground is very rocky and lower down the hillsides are covered with a tangled growth of blackberry bushes. A solitary ground squirrel was the only sign of wild life seen. A flock of sheep attended by two children and a setter dog scrambled over the crags above the site of the tunnel, but looking down the canyon the only diversity was the white tents of the Tartar army of invasion. The party got together at the carriages in good condition, a little tired but feeling stimulated by the active exercise and the decided change of air. Mayor Andrus thought he had the laugh on those who went through to the end, and Mr. Milbury, stripped to the buff, clamored for his lunch. Seats were soon taken and after a rattling drive down the grade and across the flat the party reached town about 5 o'clock, jaded but jolly, and glad that they went out.
THE ROAD.
The road of the Company is about four and one-half miles in length, including the tunnel. On the Contra Costa side, about half a mile of grade beyond the tunnel connects it with the old road, near Buckley's, and the natural grades on that side are very easy, the level of the country being much higher than the valley in which Oakland lies. The grade is now cut to the western end of the tunnel, except some points of rock yet to be removed, and some trimming to be done when it comes to finishing up the work. The contract calls for a grade 25 feet wide, with an 8-inch crown in the center, the banks sloping foot for foot. The Company's right of way is 50 feet wide. The tunnel is 1,050 feet in length, 16 feet in width and 15 feet in heighth, and the entire work is to be completed by the 1st of July. One hundred and twenty-five men are at present employed under a Chinese contractor. The material is soft slate, and a first-class road in all respects will be the result. It opens to Oakland a large and fertile district which has been heretofore difficult of access, and will bring to this city direct trade worth millions of dollars. It opens to active cultivation a tract of country which has heretofore been given over to grazing only, and the farmers, of Contra Costs are enthusiastic on the subject of the new enterprise. The road has been driven to its present stage in four months, which speaks well for the energy of the management, and it will be carried forward to completion with all possible dispatch. The work has been inaugurated and conducted quietly, but locally considered it is one of the most important improvements ever undertaken in this district, and competent judges estimate that when completed it will be worth $100,000. It will be worth more than that to the two counties; and if the projectors realize a bonanza fortune it will be no more than their due.
This article:
Article from Feb 3, 1879 Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Kennedy tunnel
Renewal of interest in completion of the tunnel, and the road:
IT IS NEEDED. Some Facts Regarding the Contra Costa Road. How Kennedy Started it Fifteen Years Ago.
Article from Dec 15, 1893 Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Tunnel road, Kennedy tunnel, L. w. kennedy
THE ROAD TO CONTRA COSTA TO BLOG
Article from Nov 27, 1895 Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Tunnel road, Hiram thorne, Thornhill, Kennedy tunnel, Thorn road
Contra Costa Officers Are in Favor of the Tunnel Road. Medau
Article from May 4, 1897 Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Tunnel road, Hiram thorne, Thornhill, Kennedy tunnel, Thorn road
County Surveyor Nusbaumer on tunnel, "old Adams-Kennedy road," Medau road
Article from May 14, 1897 Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Kennedy tunnel
Tunnel to Contra Costa Medau Road
Article from Oct 20, 1897 Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Tunnel road, Kennedy tunnel
Leaonard White Kennedy, initator of the Kennedy Tunnel dies before the tunnel and road are completed.
https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune/173175871/
Article from Jul 30, 1898 Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Kennedy tunnel, L. w. kennedy, Kennedy, Leonard white kennedy
Construction of the road and tunnel resumes, and is completed:
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-berkeley-gazette/173267655/
Article from Jul 21, 1903 The Berkeley Gazette (Berkeley, California) Kennedy tunnel
OLD AND NEW ROADS TO CONTRA COSTA
Article from Nov 4, 1903 Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Contra costa, Thornhill, Kennedy tunnel
https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune/173242018/
Article from Nov 4, 1903 Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Tunnel road, Kennedy tunnel
TUNNEL DEDICATION MARKS PROGRESS OF THE NEW TIME
Article from Nov 5, 1903 The San Francisco Call and Post (San Francisco, California) Kennedy tunnel
Skyline Boulevard is built, connecting Tunnel Road with Snake Road, and eventually what is now known as Joaquin Miller Road:
proposed joining of the skyline boulevard with the tunnel road
Article from Aug 2, 1914 Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Skyline boulevard, Tunnel road, Kennedy tunnel
BEGIN BUILDING SKYLINE BOULEVARD
Article from Jun 13, 1915 Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Skyline boulevard, Tunnel road, Kennedy tunnel
https://www.newspapers.com/article/contra-costa-times/173336894/
Article from May 6, 1948 Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, California) Tunnel road, Old tunnel road
OAKLAND'S SKYLINE BOULEVARD SCENIC WONDER OF WEST Great map photos
Article from Dec 5, 1915 Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Skyline boulevard, Tunnel road, Hiram thorne, Walnut creek, Thornhill, Kennedy tunnel, Thorn road, Euclid avenue, Joaquin miller heights, Bryant station
Tunnel Road Soon to Be Opened, Is Promise of Contra Costa County Photos
Article from May 14, 1916 Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Tunnel road, Kennedy tunnel
The tunnel itself was problematic; narrow, dark, wet and prone to cave-ins. It was variously called the Kennedy Tunnel, Broadway Tunnel, Inter-County Tunnel and later, when the first bore of the Broadway Low-Level Tunnel, later Caldecott Tunnel was built, the Broadway High-Level Tunnel. Cave-ins, slides and repairs were a constant concern with the tunnel.
https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-gazette-martinez/173267592/
Article from Nov 30, 1920 Daily Gazette-Martinez (Martinez, California) Kennedy tunnel
OFFICIALS IN TUNNEL ROAD CLOSING CLASH
Article from Mar 11, 1934 Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Tunnel road, Kennedy tunnel
https://www.newspapers.com/article/martinez-news-gazette/173335810/
Article from Oct 11, 1947 Martinez News-Gazette (Martinez, California) Kennedy tunnel, Inter-county tunnel
https://www.newspapers.com/article/martinez-news-gazette/173336183/
Article from Apr 8, 1941 Martinez News-Gazette (Martinez, California) Kennedy tunnel, Inter-county tunnel
https://www.newspapers.com/article/martinez-news-gazette/173336116/
Article from Sep 29, 1944 Martinez News-Gazette (Martinez, California) Kennedy tunnel, Inter-county tunnel
https://www.newspapers.com/article/contra-costa-times/173336056/
Article from Jul 18, 1946 Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, California) Kennedy tunnel, Inter-county tunnel
https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune/173261846/
Article from Apr 13, 1947 Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Kennedy tunnel, Inter-county tunnel
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-independent/173384334/
Article from May 12, 1947 The Independent (Richmond, California) Kennedy tunnel, Inter-county tunnel
A combination of boosterism, nostalgia and commerce kept the tunnel relevant and even celebrated. The romantic, sweeping views of the bay from the hills helped sell automobiles and real estate. The construction of Grizzly Peak Boulevard joined its summit with the Berkeley hills.
https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune/159134882/
Article from Dec 20, 1925 Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Hiram thorne, Kennedy tunnel, Thorn road, Fish hill road
How Scenic Route Came to Oakland
Article from Feb 6, 1927 Santa Cruz Sentinel (Santa Cruz, California) Skyline boulevard, Oakland, Hiram thorne, Kennedy tunnel, Thorn road, Fish hill
https://www.newspapers.com/article/martinez-news-gazette/173333074/
Article from Aug 28, 1930 Martinez News-Gazette (Martinez, California) Tunnel road, Kennedy tunnel, L. w. kennedy
New [Grizzly Peak] Boulevard To Be Dedicated This Afternoon
Article from Mar 3, 1935 Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Tunnel road, Sera, Kennedy tunnel, Grizzly peak boulevard, Fish ranch road, Euclid avenue, New deal
Once the Broadway Low-Level Tunnel was open, in 1937, the Kennedy Tunnel went into disuse. In 1947 it was finally closed forever.
https://www.newspapers.com/article/martinez-news-gazette/173338107/
Article from Jun 3, 1947 Martinez News-Gazette (Martinez, California) Kennedy tunnel, Inter-county tunnel
https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune/173338229/
Article from Jun 3, 1947 Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Kennedy tunnel, Inter-county tunnel
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-independent/173338052/
Article from Jun 4, 1947 The Independent (Richmond, California) Kennedy tunnel, Inter-county tunnel
https://www.newspapers.com/article/martinez-news-gazette/173335810/
Article from Oct 11, 1947 Martinez News-Gazette (Martinez, California) Kennedy tunnel, Inter-county tunnel
https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune/173337212/
Article from Apr 13, 1948 Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Kennedy tunnel, Inter-county tunnel
https://www.newspapers.com/article/contra-costa-times/173336894/
Article from May 6, 1948 Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, California) Tunnel road, Old tunnel road
The wacky idea of making it a mushroom farm briefly flourished. Nostalgia for the old tunnel, and reminiscences of its critical role and scary experience were told for years. There was briefly a plan to build a new tunnel through the hills, near the top of Shepherd Canyon, and build a freeway! connecting the Caldecott, Redwood Canyon and Montclair. That effort name-checked the Kennedy Tunnel, and the original dream of connecting the two counties, Alameda and Contra Costa. Thankfully the Shepherd Canyon Tunnel and related freeway was not built. If you're familiar with the new McCosker park, purchased by EBRPD, that family's construction company stood to gain not just from its real estate holdings, but the proximity and abiity to contribute to the construction of the new highway. McCosker ancestors were a part of the cultural connection with Oakland for a long time, living at the far end of the "Moraga Road."
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-oakland-post-enquirer/173262582/
Article from Apr 11, 1945 The Oakland Post Enquirer (Oakland, California) Tunnel road, E. c. prather
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-oakland-post-enquirer/173337910/
Article from Oct 25, 1947 The Oakland Post Enquirer (Oakland, California) Kennedy tunnel
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-independent/173337644/
Article from Dec 23, 1947 The Independent (Richmond, California) Kennedy tunnel, Inter-county tunnel, Mushrooms
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-berkeley-gazette/173263798/
Article from Jun 21, 1948 The Berkeley Gazette (Berkeley, California) Kennedy tunnel, Elam brown, Fish ranch road, So we're told, Summit road, Shuey, James m. stow
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-berkeley-gazette/173263304/
Article from Mar 16, 1950 The Berkeley Gazette (Berkeley, California) Wildcat canyon, Tunnel road, Cape horn, Livermore, Fish ranch road, So we're told, Wagner ranch, Orinda
https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune/173267741/
Article from Feb 28, 1954 Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Kennedy tunnel, Shepherd canyon tunnel
https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune/173267829/
Article from Feb 28, 1954 Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Kennedy tunnel, Shepherd canyon tunnel
https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune/173240282/
Article from Jun 21, 1959 Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Tunnel road, Knave, Kennedy tunnel
https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune/173254678/
Article from Dec 23, 1984 Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Snow, Kennedy tunnel, Ice
Remnanta of Kennedy structure elusive
Article from Mar 31, 1997 Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Tunnel road, Kennedy tunnel
https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune/173240376/
Article from Mar 31, 1997 Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Caldecott, Kennedy tunnel
https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune/173240421/
Article from Mar 31, 1997 Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Caldecott, Kennedy tunnel
https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune/173240480/
Article from Jul 18, 2010 Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Caldecott, Kennedy tunnel
https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune/173242368/
Article from Nov 11, 2013 Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Tunnel road, Kennedy tunnel
https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune/173242342/
Article from Nov 11, 2013 Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Tunnel road, Kennedy tunnel
Each article above is worthy of a blog post. If you'd like to know more about one of the above, let me know in the comments. And I hope you enjoy riding, or driving Tunnel Road a bit more, after reading this.
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