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tunnels through the
Allegheny, Tuscarora, Kittatinny, and Blue mountains, and bypassing the tunnels under Laurel Hill, Rays Hill, and Sideling Hill with new, six-lane highways climbing the adjacent hills. The Sideling Hill Tunnel and the nearby Rays Hill tunnel, along with connecting segments of four-lane highway, were used for many years as a testing facility for new highway technologies.
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locomotive at the Kimmel switch just beyond the tunnel. In the 1940s, the doors were equipped with remote actuators mounted on poles a few hundred feet before each portal. This allowed the crews to open and close the doors without stopping. The system did not work flawlessly and a door was ripped off by a
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The north portal was equipped with doors to prevent wind from blowing through the tunnel as the wind caused water percolating into the tunnel to freeze on the tracks in the winter. In 1911, this ice caused the brand new locomotive #12 to derail its pilot axle inside the tunnel then derail the entire
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The rest stop formerly included the
Sideling Hill Exhibit Center, a four-level geological museum and travel information center which opened in 1991. Due to state budget cuts, this facility was closed on August 15, 2009, as part of a $ 280 million budget reduction package, saving the state about $
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The tunnel, the longest of the seven original turnpike tunnels at 6,782 feet (2,067 m) long, was used from the turnpike's opening in 1940 until 1968. Due to increasing traffic on the highway, the turnpike commission began upgrading all of its two-lane tunnels, constructing twin bores for its
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tunnel construction 11 miles (18 km) to the south by eight years. The tunnel is single-tracked, and curved at each end. It originally had a stone portal on its eastern (RR North) end and a natural stone portal at its western (RR South) end, but about 1919 the north portal was replaced with a
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The tunnel was in service from 1874 until the railroad ceased operations in 1956. The line is technically out of service (but not abandoned), and the track is still in place through the tunnel, although not serviceable. The tunnel and rail line are private property and not open to the public.
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A highway rest stop, located near the eastern side of the
Sideling Hill Road Cut on I-68 west of Hancock, includes a pedestrian bridge crossing I-68, connecting the eastbound and westbound rest areas and offering views of the cut, in which stopping is prohibited.
614:. Blasting was completed in August 1984. It is notable as an impressive man-made mountain pass, visible from miles away, and is considered to be one of the best rock exposures in Maryland and the entire northeastern United States. Almost 810 feet (250 m) of
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are exposed in this road cut. Although other exposures may surpass
Sideling Hill in either thickness of exposed strata or in quality of geologic structure, few can equal its combination of both. The exposed rocks consist of the
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110,000 annually. Before its closing, the center served about 95,000 visitors a year. Many of the geological exhibits from the former
Exhibit Center are now displayed at the Hancock Museum in nearby
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that were formerly used by the
Turnpike. Completed at a cost of $ 17,203,000, the Sideling Hill bypass opened on November 26, 1968, and the former alignment through the tunnels became known as the
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The former exhibit center building was reopened as a welcome center on
October 9, 2015. Only part of the facility is open, with the former exhibit center exhibits remaining at the Hancock Museum.
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Oblique air photo of
Sideling Hill, facing north, with the I-68 road cut near center, and the path of the National Road (Scenic US 40) visible to the south
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Only a few major highways, one active railroad and two former ones, and one former canal cross this steep mountain ridge.
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is a 340-foot-deep (100 m) notch excavated from the ridge of
Sideling Hill, about five miles (8.0 km) west of
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The western portal of the now-abandoned
Sideling Hill Tunnel, along the former mainline of the Pennsylvania Turnpike
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509:. A rest area next to the ridge was a stop on Bill Clinton and Al Gore's post-convention bus tour in 1992.
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through Sideling Hill in 1873–1874 as part of its mainline construction. The tunnel predates the
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of the South Pennsylvania Railroad, the tunnel was completed for highway use by the turnpike.
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813:"Cycling: Tighter security near Confluence dam sends cyclists in search of new campsite"
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845:"Construction Information about the Sideling Hill Road Cut & Exhibit Center"
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Most of the crest of Sideling Hill is forested, primarily with various
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East Broad Top Railroad Tunnel at Sideling Hill, south portal
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The Sideling Hill cut from the rest stop pedestrian bridge
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954:"Sideling Hill visitors center to reopen in Hancock"
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49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
566:In 2001, the Sideling Hill Tunnel was sold to the
574:Sideling Hill Road Cut (I-68 and US 40, Maryland)
279:, is a long, steep, narrow mountain ridge in the
16:Mountain ridge in the Appalachian Mountains, U.S.
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570:for $ 1, which now operates it as a bike trail.
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590:The Sideling Hill Road Cut, as seen from I-70
440:East Broad Top Railroad Tunnel (Pennsylvania)
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850:. Maryland Department of Natural Resources
760:"Feature Detail Report for: Sideling Hill"
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376:Purslane Sandstone of the Pocono Formation
1601:Ridges of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania
1551:Ridges of Hampshire County, West Virginia
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109:Learn how and when to remove this message
1596:Landforms of Fulton County, Pennsylvania
1561:Landforms of Washington County, Maryland
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901:"Sideling Hill Exhibit Center to close"
878:"Geology of the Sideling Hill Road Cut"
1566:Landforms of Allegany County, Maryland
1556:Ridges of Morgan County, West Virginia
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493:, I-76) crosses Sideling Hill east of
432:Highway, railroad, and canal crossings
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704:Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) Railroad
952:Baker, Tamela (September 25, 2015).
737:Sideling Hill Creek (disambiguation)
315:. The highest point on the ridge is
47:adding citations to reliable sources
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764:Geographic Names Information System
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642:Rest stop and former exhibit center
513:Sideling Hill Tunnel (Pennsylvania)
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343:, in a region of downward-folded (
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811:Walsh, Larry (November 4, 2001).
766:. United States Geological Survey
690:cut through Sideling Hill by the
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899:Keels, Heather (July 22, 2009).
702:, formerly the main line of the
568:Southern Alleghenies Conservancy
553:Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission
319:, at 2,310 feet (700 m) in
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1591:Water gaps of the United States
634:, underlying the Mississippian
507:Abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike
34:needs additional citations for
1175:Mount Pisgah (Bradford County)
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678:at the crest of the mountain.
551:was begun in the 1930s by the
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1296:Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians
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666:Before construction of I-68,
138:road cut in Sideling Hill in
1490:Mount Pisgah (Carbon County)
933:. Maryland Office of Tourism
880:. Maryland Geological Survey
876:Brezinski, David K. (1994).
786:"Fisher Point, Pennsylvania"
662:National Road (US 40 Scenic)
481:Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76)
355:. The ridge is capped by an
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612:Washington County, Maryland
545:South Pennsylvania Railroad
535:, through Sideling Hill in
462:South Pennsylvania Railroad
321:Fulton County, Pennsylvania
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157:2,311 ft (704 m)
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716:Western Maryland Railroad
708:Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
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712:national historical park
694:southwest (upstream) of
668:US 40 (now US 40 Scenic)
495:Breezewood, Pennsylvania
417:, along with occasional
1581:Ridges of West Virginia
818:Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
682:Potomac River Water Gap
454:East Broad Top Railroad
1576:Ridges of Pennsylvania
1455:Conococheague Mountain
907:. Hagerstown, Maryland
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289:physiographic province
1409:Williamsburg Mountain
1369:Nesquehoning Mountain
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549:Pennsylvania Turnpike
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487:Pennsylvania Turnpike
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401:tree species such as
351:between two upfolded
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293:Appalachian Mountains
252:Appalachian Mountains
1200:Blue Ridge Mountains
990:at Wikimedia Commons
618:in a tightly folded
533:Sideling Hill Tunnel
519:Sideling Hill Tunnel
499:Sideling Hill Tunnel
374:) geologic age, the
43:improve this article
1586:Valleys of Maryland
1430:Buckingham Mountain
1329:Big Savage Mountain
1319:Bear Pond Mountains
1140:Blue Ridge Mountain
1052:Bald Eagle Mountain
1034:Allegheny Mountains
339:Sideling Hill is a
285:Allegheny Mountains
195:40.0090°N 78.1295°W
191: /
1571:Ridges of Maryland
1500:Osterhout Mountain
1495:Nescopeck Mountain
1450:Conewago Mountains
1440:Catawissa Mountain
1399:Tuscarora Mountain
1145:Camelback Mountain
1047:Allegheny Mountain
732:Laurel Hill Tunnel
636:Purslane Sandstone
632:Rockwell Formation
594:The Sideling Hill
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387:Rockwell Formation
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147:Highest point
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1530:Watchung Outliers
1475:McCauley Mountain
1465:Haystack Mountain
1190:Red Rock Mountain
1160:Forkston Mountain
1155:Endless Mountains
1132:Allegheny Plateau
986:Media related to
927:"Welcome Centers"
792:. ListsOfJohn.com
714:, and the former
696:Hancock, Maryland
653:Hancock, Maryland
357:erosion-resistant
341:syncline mountain
297:Washington County
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200:40.0090; -78.1295
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1480:Moosic Mountains
1460:Haycock Mountain
1445:Central Mountain
1349:Dunning Mountain
1226:Applebutter Hill
1185:Pocono Mountains
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829:September 14,
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790:List of Peaks
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305:West Virginia
303:and adjacent
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295:, located in
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273:Sideling Hill
266:Wells Tannery
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60: –
59:
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54:Find sources:
48:
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38:
37:
32:This article
30:
26:
21:
20:
1520:Sidneys Knob
1393:
1379:The Pinnacle
1374:Parnell Knob
1324:Big Mountain
1170:Mount Ararat
1107:Ritchey Knob
1067:Herman Point
1026:Pennsylvania
961:. Retrieved
957:
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935:. Retrieved
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852:. Retrieved
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827:. Retrieved
823:the original
816:
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794:. Retrieved
789:
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768:. Retrieved
763:
700:CSX Railroad
685:
676:hairpin turn
665:
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557:right-of-way
537:Pennsylvania
530:
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360:conglomerate
338:
317:Fisher Point
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309:Pennsylvania
276:
272:
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242:Parent range
230:Pennsylvania
105:
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41:Please help
36:verification
33:
1525:Turkey Hill
1510:Pimple Hill
1435:Butler Knob
1364:Mount Minsi
1359:Martin Hill
1339:Clarks Knob
1276:Saucon Hill
1271:Pektor Hill
1266:Morgan Hill
1082:Mount Davis
1077:Laurel Hill
1072:Kinton Knob
963:October 18,
958:Herald-Mail
937:January 20,
911:January 20,
796:January 20,
770:January 20,
411:hickories (
349:rock strata
299:in western
198: /
173:Coordinates
1545:Categories
1241:Focht Hill
743:References
720:rail trail
541:Breezewood
353:anticlines
186:78°07′46″W
183:40°00′32″N
163:Prominence
69:newspapers
1286:Swoveberg
1251:Kirchberg
1102:Pine Knob
1057:Blue Knob
688:water gap
419:evergreen
399:deciduous
364:sandstone
345:synclinal
213:Geography
153:Elevation
99:June 2013
1256:Kohlberg
1150:Elk Hill
884:March 9,
854:June 29,
726:See also
710:, now a
625:Devonian
620:syncline
596:Road Cut
539:east of
473:cupola.
380:Devonian
301:Maryland
259:Topo map
226:Maryland
218:Location
718:(now a
608:Hancock
555:on the
471:caboose
422:pines (
405:Quercus
393:Ecology
370:(early
327:Geology
291:of the
275:, also
83:scholar
1418:Others
670:, the
616:strata
458:tunnel
403:oaks (
228:, and
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848:(PDF)
604:US 40
424:Pinus
413:Carya
90:JSTOR
76:books
965:2015
939:2014
913:2014
886:2009
856:2021
831:2006
798:2014
772:2014
686:The
602:and
600:I-68
531:The
485:The
452:The
409:and
362:and
307:and
283:(or
264:USGS
234:U.S.
62:news
722:).
610:in
598:on
366:of
313:USA
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
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