Newhall Auto Tunnel
Newhall, California
Real-Photo Postcard of the Newhall Auto Tunnel, ca. 1920's.As the age of the automobile descended on the Newhall Pass, Beale's Cut proved to be too difficult a climb for this new mode of transportation. Therefore in 1910, the Newhall Auto Tunnel was constructed a quarter mile to the Northwest. The tunnel was quite narrow, making it difficult for 2 way traffic to pass through. By 1938, with increasing auto and truck traffic, the tunnel was rendered obsolete. In July of that year, the mountain and tunnel were blasted away, and a 4 lane road was built above the level of the old tunnel. First known as Highway 6, then Highway 14, and finally as the modern day Sierra Highway. The cutout of the mountain where the tunnel was located can still be seen today on Sierra Highway at the crest of the Newhall Pass.
AL1910: 9600 dpi jpeg from 300 dpi jpg of the original postcard
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