Pitkin Tunnel
Encyclopedia
The Pitkin Tunnel or Pitkin Street Tunnel is a below-ground-level, roofed but not entirely enclosed roadway, in downtown New Haven, Connecticut
, United States
. It accommodates simultaneous motor vehicle traffic in both directions. The tunnel
runs from the eastbound one-way Elm Street between Church and Orange Streets (41.3078°N 72.9234°W), with the southbound lanes of State Street between Court and Chapel Streets (41.3054°N 72.9225°W) across from State Street station
. It passes under Orange Street. It runs under or next to the City Hall and the Federal Courthouse on Church Street, the local Emergency Operations Center, and at least three more buildings that house banks and the headquarters of United Illuminating, the electric utility
serving much of the state.
The tunnel provides access to a parking garage and to loading docks; motorists with no interest in those facilities are reported to use the tunnel as a convenient route to avoid traffic lights and congestion.
and General Services Administration
provided funds which were used to install surveillance cameras, gates for closing the tunnel, and booths to accommodate guards. , the gates are open 16 hours a day, five days a week, with the only security personnel in the tunnel being occasional patrols by city police. The lack of guards to control access at those times has drawn attention of the state's news media.
In February of 2007, plans were announced to enhance security, apparently in anticipation of extradition from the United Kingdom
, and trial in New Haven, of a person charged with conspiracy in a terrorism-related case. One measure is to be armed guards who are not visible to the public.
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It accommodates simultaneous motor vehicle traffic in both directions. The tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
runs from the eastbound one-way Elm Street between Church and Orange Streets (41.3078°N 72.9234°W), with the southbound lanes of State Street between Court and Chapel Streets (41.3054°N 72.9225°W) across from State Street station
State Street Station (New Haven)
State Street Station is the secondary railroad passenger station in New Haven, Connecticut located northeast of the primary station in the city, Union Station. The station opened on June 7, 2002, for Shore Line East trains and June 24, 2002, for Metro-North Railroad trains...
. It passes under Orange Street. It runs under or next to the City Hall and the Federal Courthouse on Church Street, the local Emergency Operations Center, and at least three more buildings that house banks and the headquarters of United Illuminating, the electric utility
Electric utility
An electric utility is a company that engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity for sale generally in a regulated market. The electrical utility industry is a major provider of energy in most countries. It is indispensable to factories, commercial establishments,...
serving much of the state.
The tunnel provides access to a parking garage and to loading docks; motorists with no interest in those facilities are reported to use the tunnel as a convenient route to avoid traffic lights and congestion.
Security
In 2003, the United States Marshals ServiceUnited States Marshals Service
The United States Marshals Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice . The office of U.S. Marshal is the oldest federal law enforcement office in the United States; it was created by the Judiciary Act of 1789...
and General Services Administration
General Services Administration
The General Services Administration is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. The GSA supplies products and communications for U.S...
provided funds which were used to install surveillance cameras, gates for closing the tunnel, and booths to accommodate guards. , the gates are open 16 hours a day, five days a week, with the only security personnel in the tunnel being occasional patrols by city police. The lack of guards to control access at those times has drawn attention of the state's news media.
In February of 2007, plans were announced to enhance security, apparently in anticipation of extradition from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and trial in New Haven, of a person charged with conspiracy in a terrorism-related case. One measure is to be armed guards who are not visible to the public.
External links
- Safe Haven city newsletter
- Tunnel security update new report
- Map of surface route between tunnel openings