While railroad tunnels certainly still exist (and function), many of them are more a part of our history than they are the present. That's certainly the case for the longest tunnel in Rhode Island, the East Side Railroad Tunnel. You may have heard about this tunnel because of a chaotic 1993 incident, but the truth is, its history goes back much, much farther.
The East Side Railroad Tunnel is located on the east side of Providence, hence its name.
Construction of the tunnel began in May of 1906, opening for the first time in November of 1908. Construction cost around $2 million.
The tunnel runs under College Hill from Gano Street to Benefit Street.
The tunnel is currently sealed off and closed to the public. While most current residents have either forgotten about it or simply don't know it exists, at one time, it was a prominent feature of the city. H. P. Lovecraft even referenced it in several of his short stories.
Originally the tunnel had two tracks, electrified for the heavy electric passenger trains to Bristol, Rhode Island and Fall River, Massachusetts.
But after the 1938 hurricane, only freight trains with the occasional fan trips on chartered passenger trains went to Bristol. And in 1981, ownership of the tunnel was transferred to the state of Rhode Island, with the last train passing through shortly thereafter.
Then, in 1993, a controversial incident occurred when a group of students gathered here to celebrate May Day.
The students built small fires, wore masks, and beat drums. According to attendants, the scene was small and relatively mellow. But police received noise complaints, and when they arrived, things had escalated. Tear gas was used, rocks were thrown at the police, and the incident has since been referred to as the Providence Tunnel Riot of 1993.
After the riot, the East Side Railroad Tunnel was barricaded shut.
There has been talk of eventually using it for bus use, but at this time, it remains sealed and forgotten.
Were you aware of this part of Rhody's history?
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