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San Francisco's Broadway Tunnel

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The Broadway Tunnel in San Francisco is a structure at Russian Hill which connects the neighborhood Chinatown to North Beach. The tunnel was included in the 1948 San Francisco Trafficways Plan as a connector between the Central Freeway and Embarcadero Freeway. The structure was completed in December 1952 and spans 1,616 feet through Russian Hill. The Broadway Tunnel was designated as the Robert C. Levy Tunnel in 1986.




Part 1; the history of the Broadway Tunnel

Following the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill in 1848 San Francisco would see a major population boom.  The city would expand from the shores of San Francisco Bay inland towards the many steep hills.  The hills of San Francisco would prove to be a major hinderance towards the expansion of city.  Roads were generally plotted over the tops of hillsides and had steep grades.  Russian Hill in particular was one of the steepest and contained numerous streets with grades in excess of twenty percent. 

Broadway can be seen crossing the top of Russian Hill west of Powell Street on the 1863 Gensoul Map of San Francisco.  The Omnibus Railroad and North Beach & Mission Railroad can be seen jogging north around Russian Hill rather than cresting it via Broadway.



On April 22, 1863, the California State Assembly granted toll franchise rights to Abner Doyle via Legislative Chapter 293 to construct a tunnel through Russian Hill via Broadway:

"The right is hereby given to Abner Doyle, I.T. Pennel, Joseph M. Wood, I.W. Cudworth, to them and their associates and assigns, to construct a tunnel in the City and County of San Francisco, through Russian Hill, on the line of Broadway street, from Mason street to Hyde or Larkin street, with exclusive use of said tunnel, and the right to charge tolls upon animals and vehicles which may pass through same.  Said tunnel shall not be less than twenty feet in width, by sixteen feet in height, in the centre chord thereof, the entrances, shafts, slopes, and open cuts, shall be protected with suitable rails, walls, etc, to prevent accidnets."

Ultimately Abner Doyle's franchise rights would expire without a tunnel on Broadway being constructed.  The concept of a Broadway Tunnel would not be revisited until 1913.  During March of said year Bion J. Arnold submitted a report to the city of San Francisco calling for a tunnel on Broadway to completement the Stockton Street Tunnel which was in the process of construction.  The conceptual Broadway Tunnel by Arnold would have included a three-lane road, two rail tracks and sidewalks. 




During April 1913 a standalone railway tunnel was proposed under Russian Hill at Broadway.  The rail tunnel was intended to carry passengers to/from the upcoming 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition.


A Broadway Tunnel was one of ten potential tunnels proposed during an October 1917 meeting for the San Francisco Association members of the American Society of Civil Engineers.  



The 1935 Division of Highways Map of San Francisco displayed Broadway west from Montgomery Street west over Russian Hill to Octavia Street as carrying 2,000-3,500 vehicles a day. 


A proposed Broadway Tunnel appears on the 1948 San Francisco Trafficways plan as the primary connector between the Embarcadero Freeway and Central Freeway.  Voters approved the Broadway Tunnel which was funded by a $5,000,000 bond measure. 


Construction of the Broadway Tunnel commenced during May 1950.  The structure was planned to be completed during May 1952 but was delayed due to loose rock which needed shoring.  The Broadway Tunnel would open to traffic on December 21, 1952.  



The May/June 1959 California Highways & Public Works featured the opening of the second segment of the Central Freeway in San Francisco.  The 1.4-mile-long segment opened April 22, 1959, between Mission Street to the one-way couplets at Turk Street and Golden Gate Avenue.  US Route 101 was realigned onto the extended Central Freeway and connected from the end of the segment to Van Ness Avenue.  The Central Freeway would never be extended north to directly connect with the Broadway Tunnel as planned. in 1948  


The March/April 1959 California Highways & Public Works noted the Embarcadero Freeway (Interstate 480) had opened to Broadway during February 1959.  The Embarcadero Freeway fed traffic directly onto Broadway west through Russian Hill towards US Route 101 at Van Ness Avenue.  



The March/April 1959 California Highways & Public Works featured an article on the extension of the Embarcadero Freeway to Broadway.  





The Embarcadero Freeway can be seen connecting to Broadway on the 1960 Division of Highways Map.  


The Broadway Tunnel was named in honor of Robert C. Levy during January 1986.  Levy was the San Francisco city engineer and superintendent of building inspections. 

On October 17, 1989, the 6.9 magnitude Loma Prieta Earthquake struck the San Francisco Bay Area which damaged the Embarcadero Freeway.  Ultimately the San Francisco Board of Supervisors would vote to demolish the Embarcadero Freeway.  The entirety of California State Route 480 was deleted via 1991 Senate Bill 181, Chapter 498.  Demolition of the Embarcadero Freeway would begin on February 27, 1991.  Following the demolition much of the previous utility of the Broadway Tunnel was lost.  



Part 2; scenes around the Broadway Tunnel

Below the Broadway Tunnel can be seen facing west from Powell Street.  



The Broadway Tunnel can be seen facing east from US Route 101/Van Ness Avenue.  


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