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Fort McHenry Tunnel
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2011) |
 Southbound tunnel, Bore 2 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Location | Baltimore Harbor |
| Coordinates | 39°15′39.2″N 76°34′36.3″W / 39.260889°N 76.576750°W |
| Route |  I-95 |
| Start | Locust Point |
| End | Canton |
| Operation | |
| Constructed | 1980–1985 |
| Opened | November 23, 1985[1] |
| Owner | Maryland Transportation Authority |
| Traffic | Automotive |
| Character | Highway |
| Toll | Passenger cars: $3 Maryland E-ZPass $4 non-Maryland E-ZPass $6 Video toll |
| Vehicles per day | 115,000 |
| Technical | |
| Length | 1.5 miles (2.4 km) |
| No. of lanes | 8 |
| Operating speed | 55 miles per hour (89 km/h) |
| Lowest elevation | 107 feet (33 m) below harbor water surface |
| Tunnel clearance | 13.6 feet (4.1 m) |
| Width | 26 feet (7.9 m) |
| Route map | |
 | |
The Fort McHenry Tunnel is a four-tube, bi-directional tunnel that carries traffic on Interstate 95 (I-95) underneath the Baltimore Harbor. Named for nearby Fort McHenry, the tunnel is the lowest point in the Interstate Highway System under water.[2]
Construction began in May 1980; the tunnel opened on November 23, 1985. Having consumed some $750 million (equivalent to $2.1 billion in 2023), it was the most expensive Interstate project until surpassed by the Big Dig in Boston.[3] As of 2009[update], it was used by 43.4 million vehicles annually.[needs update]
Tolls are collected in both directions. The toll for cars is $3 with a Maryland E-ZPass and $4 with another state's E-ZPass. Vehicles without an E-ZPass pay more, as do those with more than two axles—up to $45 for a 6+ axle vehicle without an E-ZPass.[4] All-electronic tolling using E-ZPass or toll-by-plate started in March 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and was made permanent in August 2020.[5] A project to demolish the toll plaza and replace it with overhead gantries for open road tolling started in 2022.[6]
- ^ "Baltimore Harbor Tunnel Opens". Ocala Star-Banner. November 24, 1985. p. 3.
- ^ "The Interstate". Ginger Strand. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
- ^ DCRoads.net. "Fort McHenry Tunnel: Historic Overview". Accessed 2011-07-11.
- ^ "Maryland Toll Rates". Accessed 2023-01-31.
- ^ "All-Electronic Tolling Now Permanent at All MDTA Facilities Statewide in Maryland". Salisbury, MD: WBOC-TV. August 6, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
- ^ "CONSTRUCTION AT FORT MCHENRY TUNNEL (I-95) TOLL PLAZA WILL PROVIDE DRIVERS WITH HIGHWAY-SPEED ACCESS TO ALL-ELECTRONIC TOLLING | MDTA". mdta.maryland.gov. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
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