Paving of the Cal Park Tunnel is expected to be completed by the end of the year. RTC's Laura Cohen, left, takes part in a hardhat tour of the 1,100-foot tunnel. More Information
	To learn more about rail-trail projects in Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada and Washington, contact RTC's Western Regional Office at 415.814.1100.

Cal Park Tunnel Nears Completion

As Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) staff stood at the south portal of the Cal Park Tunnel in Marin County, Calif., we could finally declare, "There is light at the end of the tunnel!" The long-awaited reopening of Cal Park Tunnel is entering the final phase of construction, and RTC was treated to a hardhat tour of the new 1,100-foot tunnel.  
 
The tunnel is a critical north-south link in Marin County, cutting through a hillside that separates most of the population from the ferry terminal at Larkspur Landing; without the tunnel, bicyclists and pedestrians have had to take a much longer, circuitous route. When the project is completed, the new 1.1 miles of trail will provide a direct connection for commuters and recreational users, linking to the Larkspur Ferry Terminal (a commuter ferry to San Francisco) and to the future SMART rail station at the south portal of the tunnel.
 
The Cal Park Tunnel has been a priority for RTC's Western Regional Office for years. The project posed challenges that helped to inspire our 2001 Tunnels on Trails report, prepared for the Marin County Board of Supervisors to address the safety and feasibility of reopening railroad tunnels for trails. The study, and RTC's advocacy, played a key role in advancing the project.

"When the tunnel opens, I predict it will be a showcase rail-with-trail project," says Laura Cohen, director of RTC's Western Regional Office. "It's got it all: great scenery, cool tunnels and an easy connection to the ferries that take you to San Francisco. Kudos to the leaders and advocates of Marin County in overcoming the design challenges to make this a reality."

To reconstruct the trail, all the wood timbers had to be removed and replaced with steel arches that were then encased in shotcrete embedded with small steel fibers to increase flexibility. The southern portion of the tunnel had collapsed and needed to be cleared of boulders and soil before the tunnel and hillside were rebuilt. The new tunnel will also accommodate the SMART commuter rail line, and the trail will be walled off from the rail line to prevent trail users from accessing the tracks. The trail will have a separate ventilation system from the train track, which will have diesel engines running on the line.

The original tunnel was constructed in 1884 as part of the Northwestern Pacific line that carried freight and passengers to Tiburon and Sausalito. The tunnel was then expanded in 1924 to allow for double tracking and an electrified passenger trail. Freight continued to run on the line until the late 1970s, when Marin County purchased the corridor for future passenger rail and trail use.

The Marin County Bicycle Coalition (MCBC) made the tunnel reopening a top infrastructure priority in 1998 and has led the advocacy effort ever since. Deb Hubsmith, advocacy director of the MCBC, has worked on the project for 11 years. "The opening of Cal Park Tunnel next year will turn a 20-minute, hilly and dangerous bike ride between San Rafael and the Larkspur Ferry Terminal into a five-minute safe and flat connection," she says. "MCBC thanks the county of Marin and SMART for their leadership in building this visionary project. It will transform commuting options in Marin County." (A video and more information on the tunnel can be found on the MCBC website.) 
 
Mike Howe, who chairs the Marin County Bicycle Advisory Group, is thrilled that the project is finally nearing completion. "The Bicycle Advisory Group started working on this project in 1986," he says. "And I'm glad that 24 years later I will be able to ride it well before I have to negotiate it via a walker."
 
Dave Bernardi, Cal Park Construction project manager, says paving of the pathway in the tunnel should happen in the next month, and the linkages to the tunnel from connecting streets should be completed by next August.
 
Marin County is one of the four Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program communities created in 2005 to demonstrate that targeted investment of transportation resources can shift trips away from automobiles to walking and biking. According to Dan Dawson, coordinator of the Pilot Program, funding through the program has been useful in closing the gaps in the trail networks that are often the most challenging segments to complete. The Cal Park Tunnel is one gap closure that trail advocates in Marin are celebrating already.