In 2012, Turn–Key Tunneling, Inc. was awarded a 15’ Diameter Pedestrian Tunnel in Glenolden Borough, Pennsylvania to pass beneath an active CSX Railroad track.

The new pedestrian tunnel connects the two halves of Glenolden Park and serves as a primary route for students walking to and from Glenolden School. Before the construction, pedestrians and cars traveling Knowles Avenue both used the same tunnel, which was not only a dangerous situation but also an inconvenience as the street was closed for student crossings twice a day. The tunnel project created a separate tunnel for pedestrians, making it a much safer route and keeping the flow of traffic moving at the only grade separated rail crossing in the Borough.

On 19 December 2012 the project was honored by the Delaware County Planning Department for its contributions toward public safety and site design. The project was awarded the department’s William H Bates Memorial Award to acknowledge outstanding land development work throughout the county. “The new tunnel is a wonderful asset for the Borough and the kids,” says Tom Danzi, Borough Council President, “Now they have a safe way to get to school and the park, and cars can get through the area much more smoothly than before. It’s really an excellent example of how towns can use federal grant programs to improve their communities.”

The project was funded by a combination of federal funds from the Safe Routes to School and Community Development Block Grant programs, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Redevelopment.

Turn–Key Tunneling was part of a project team that included Crossing Construction as the General Contractor, Schnabel Engineering as the Geotechnical Engineer, A.D. Marble & Company as the Environmental Consultant and Stantec Engineers as the Design Engineer.