Skip to main content
MDTA Home

Baltimore Harbor Tunnel Plaza from the Air.

Baltimore Harbor Tunnel (I-895)

Baltimore Harbor Tunnel

The 1.4-mile, four-lane tunnel opened in November 1957. Designated I-895, the facility crosses under the Patapsco River and connects major north/south highways and many arterial routes in Baltimore City's industrial sections. Including the tunnel and approach roadways, the facility is approximately 18.5 miles in length.

E-ZPass Trasponder

The E-ZPass® electronic-toll-collection system is available at the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel.

Propane, Hazardous Materials & Oversized Vehicle Info:

Vehicles carrying bottled propane gas in excess of 10 pounds per container (maximum of 10 containers), bulk gasoline, explosives, significant amounts of radioactive materials, and other hazardous materials are prohibited from using both the Fort McHenry and Baltimore Harbor Tunnels. In addition, vehicles in excess of 13 feet, 6 inches, in height, or 96 inches (8 feet) in width; and all double trailers are prohibited from using the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel. For additional information regarding these restrictions, please call 410-537-1374.

Contact Information:

  • Mailing Address:

    • Maryland Transportation Authority
      Baltimore Harbor Tunnel
      1200 Frankfurst Avenue
      Baltimore MD 21226
  • General Information:

Baltimore Harbor Tunnel Quick Facts:

  • Length of tunnel and ramp structures: 1.4 miles
  • Length of entire facility, including tunnel and approaches: 18.5 miles
  • Number of twin-tube tunnel sections: 21 (ea. approximately 300 ft.long)
  • Baltimore Harbor Tunnel Groundbreaking: April 21, 1955
  • First tunnel section was sunk: April 11, 1956
  • Number of tiles lining the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel: 6,500,000
  • When dedicated, the tunnel was the 5th longest underwater vehicular tunnel in the world
  • First person to pay the Harbor Tunnel toll: Omero C. Catan of Teaneck, NJ
  • Designer/engineer of the tunnel: Ole Singstad of Singstad and Baillie in New York
  • State of Maryland Project Manager of the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel: J.E. Greiner Company, now known as URS Corporation
  • Traffic Volume: 27.6 million vehicles (both directions)

Other Information:

Baltimore Harbor Tunnel History:

Baltimore Harbor TunnelWhen the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel (Interstate 895) opened on Nov. 29, 1957, it was an event of national importance. The new tunnel was heralded widely as breaking the "Baltimore Bottleneck" for the first time ever. For years, traffic had crawled through Baltimore's narrow streets, then the only direct route between Philadelphia and the South.

The traffic situation peaked in the mid-1940s, when a federal official referred to Baltimore as "the worst city in the United States, as far as I know, on the matter of taking care of its through-traffic." The need to break this bottleneck was apparent, and Maryland's State Roads Commission -- predecessor of the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) -- initiated plans under Maryland's Primary Bridge Program. The program, which was developed and approved in 1937, called for crossings of the Potomac, Susquehanna and Patapsco rivers and the Chesapeake Bay.

After a debate about the planned crossing's location, the State Roads Commission decided on a Canton-Fairfield crossing as the best solution to address the City and State's local- and through-traffic needs. Officials selected a tunnel, rather than a bridge, to carry the traffic after experts were convinced that the costs of a twin-tube tunnel could be supported by the toll revenues it would generate. Construction began in April 1955.

At the time, the tunnel was considered an engineering marvel. Each of the tunnel's 21 twin-tube sections is 300 feet long (the size of a football field) and was built in shipyards and launched like a ship. Tugs then towed the sections to the construction site. The tunnel was built using the opentrench method -- prefabricated sections were sunk in a trench dredged in the Baltimore Harbor's bottom, and the sections were joined under water.

An integral part of the tunnel is its ventilation system -- the means for removing the exhaust fumes of thousands of vehicles daily and constantly replenishing the tunnel with fresh air.

The system includes one ventilation shaft and building over each end of the tunnel. Fresh air is supplied through a duct under the tunnel roadway and distributed through air flues. These flues are located just above the roadway on each side of the tunnel.

Air in the tunnel tube is drawn off into a duct above the tunnel ceiling and then dispersed into the atmosphere. The two ventilation buildings house gigantic fans that supply fresh air and remove stale air. Carbon-monoxide levels in each tube are monitored around the clock.

The tunnel was an instant success. It eliminated 51 traffic signals for through-traffic in downtown Baltimore, provided a cross-harbor route for local commuters and diverted up to 40 percent of commercial-vehicle traffic from local streets.

Today, the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel handles more than 27.6 million vehicles annually. Along with the Fort McHenry Tunnel (Interstate 95) and the Francis Scott Key Bridge (Interstate 695), the Harbor Tunnel is part of a network of Baltimore Harbor crossings that provides convenient and safe transportation for local and interstate traffic.

Baltimore Harbor Tunnel (I-895)

WAS THIS PAGE HELPFUL?

Public Calendar

Jun 08

Finance Committee Meeting - June 8, 2023

9 AM

Virtual Teams Meeting

This public meeting is livestreamed and archived on the Finance Committee Meeting Homepage. The Finance Committee Meeting homepage also provides access to the virtual meeting, schedule, agenda, materials and minutes.

Jun 09

Hiring Event - JFK Administration Building

12 PM

MDTA Hiring Event Onsite Interviews

Hiring Event for Highway Maintenance Workers with On-Site Interviews

We're holding a Highway Maintenance Worker hiring event at the JFK Administration Building. Same day, on-site interviews! If you can't make it, apply online here http://bit.ly/3ShAOoq.

When:
June 9, 2023
12 pm – 5 pm

Where:
John F. Kennedy Highway Administration Building 1
Turnpike Drive
Perryville, MD 21903

On-Site Same Day Interviews

  • No experience required
  • Must have a valid driver’s license
  • Please bring a valid government-issued ID to interview

Reap the rewards of State employment!

  • Pension | Medical | Dental |Prescription
  • Tuition Assistance | Generous Time Off | Life Insurance
  • Variety of job tasks & locations available

Event Flyer (PDF Download)

You belong at the MDTA!

Jun 14

Doing Business with the MDTA Development Workshop - Free

9 AM

MDOT Headquarters
Harry Hughes Conference Room
7201 Corporate Center Drive
Hanover, Maryland 21076

Doing Business with the MDTA

Free Development Workshop
Division of Civil Rights & Fair Practices (CRFP)

Wednesday, June 14, 2023
9am to 1pm

  • Free to attend.
  • Network with Primes, MDTA Procurement Officers and MDTA CRFP Compliance Officers.
  • Learn about resources to assist in growing and strengthening your business.
  • Understand the MBE/VSBE/DBE Programs and your role as a prime or subcontractor.

Register on Eventbrite:
https://tinyurl.com/yjxmw565 
Registration Opens May 1, 2023

Email any questions to:
MDTAoutreach@mdta.state.md.us

Additional Information:

To learn more visit:
Getting Your Foot In The Door | MDTA (maryland.gov)