Last year in another post I wrote about my excitement to go on an inspection of the old Loch Raven – Montebello Tunnel, which was built between 1875 and 1881. This tunnel, being 7 miles long was built mostly through solid rock. A lot of which is collapsing. Which is bad because potable water has been flowing thru it since the late 1950s, from Montebello to Towson. When it was built, the raw water from Loch Raven flowed to Montebello Lake. The inspection for last year was cancelled, saying it was unsafe? (Last inspected in 1984). Last night I get an email telling me that the consultants want to see where the exit point will be if the inspection does happen…

This is where we would exit. At the waste lake, Montebello Filters. If you look back at my post from a few months ago on the waste lake dredging, you can see that it no longer looks like this. It is grown over with phragmites. This photo from 1948 shows them dewatering the tunnel so a new surge shaft could be built.

The new surge shaft is connected to the 1938 Loch Raven Tunnel (steel, not rock) which is connected to the old rock tunnel, soon to be connected to the just being built Patapsco Tunnel. (Confused yet? You should work here!)

As with most construction projects with the city, there are always problems. This one being a storm washing away some of the work already completed.

The almost finished surge shaft. Wrap it in brick and put a Spanish tile roof on and you are done. I hope we can actually do an inspection of the tunnel.