Next time you go to Niagara Falls...

[sakimano]

...hit this tunnel in Thorold as a 4 minute detour on the way and get a good sound going with your exhaust

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&sa...,0.308647&z=12

The Thorold Tunnel

The Thorold Tunnel is located in the city of Thorold, in the Niagara Region of Ontario. The underwater tunnel was built between 1965 and 1967, and allows Highway 58 to cross the Welland Canal without interrupting shipping.
Photo of Thorold Tunnel

The tunnel was constructed in stages. The Canal section was constructed during the winter months when the Canal was drained. A trench was dug, and concrete sections shaped like tubes were poured to form the tunnel. During the summer months, the end sections of the tunnel were constructed, allowing shipping to continue. A sidewalk was built on the westbound side of the tunnel, allowing access to pedestrians through the tunnel.

The air in the tunnel is constantly monitored for carbon monoxide and, if needed, using an elaborate fan system, can be changed within 20 seconds. The lighting in the tunnel is controlled by photosensors that operate the lights in stages to provide light levels comparable to those outside the tunnel. This is to reduce the chances of being blinded by a dark tunnel, or emerging from a well-lit tunnel into the darkness of night. Traffic signals are mounted to the ceiling to control traffic during maintenance or emergency situations within the tunnel.

For more information on the Thorold Tunnel, contact Joe Kozina at (905) 227-5516.

Technical Information:

* Length - 840 metres (or .84 kilometres)
* Height - 4.5 metres
* Lanes - two westbound, two eastbound
* Speed - 80 km-h
* Roof thickness - 1.8 metres of reinforced concrete
* Wall thickness - 1.5 to 1.8 metres of reinforced concrete, covered with epoxy paint
* Lighting - 2,300 HPS lamps
* Traffic volume - 24,300 vehicles pass through the tunnel daily

You can view images from traffic cameras in and around the Thorold Tunnel here (scroll to the bottom of the map).

[beemercer]

Meters? WTF is this shit!?!? lol just kidding, wish we used it.

[BlueRocket]

Sounds like Ill be crossing the border at The Peace Bridge on my way back from Cali. LOL. Thanks Saki, Im always looking for tunnels. Not to many gooders around the GTA though!

[mhupel]

I travel to NF at least once per week. Will have to try this tunnel out the next time I go.

Thanks

[sakimano]

I tried it. I was disappointed for 2 reasons

1. it's really not that long. I mean it's exactly half a mile.
2. there was a cop waiting on the other side, so thank goodness on my first roll through I only hit 80km/h (50mph) in second gear...or I'd be toast. It's a 60 km/h (35mph) zone I believe.

[T-Dubbs]

id feel sorry for anyone behind me!
extremly loud and it backfires like 5 ft flames

[Ontittech]

I used to go through it all the time when I was with my Ex. Its not a bad tunnel. I loved the way my A4 sounded in it, and yes there usually a cop sitting at the other end for that exact reason

[Alkivar]

Baltimore Harbor Tunnel is way more fun.

[sakimano]

Baltimore Harbor Tunnel is way more fun.

congratulations Alki...this is the Canada forum!

Montreal has some awesome highway tunnels. So does Detroit. They're really bridges...but they're so wide you feel like you're in a tunnel. We were in Detroit in November I think to put beemercer's headers on his A6 4.2...and on the way to the shop we had an RS4, a B7 with 2.5" Fast Intentions exhaust (BoraVR6) and beemer's BAMF widebody A6 4.2.

I think we set off some earthquake sensors.

[Alkivar]

I know this is the Canada forum... I was just saying the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel is more fun... I drove the tunnel you mentioned in the first post a couple years ago... wasnt long enough for my taste.

[Z0rn]

I do that tunnel regularly.... it's good times. Probably the longest tunnel in the area.

[sakimano]

I do that tunnel regularly.... it's good times. Probably the longest tunnel in the area.

my new favourite? the windsor-detroit border tunnel. Unfortunately it's a 30mph zone. a.k.a 1st gear. Fail.

Still sounds awesome.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPpM5HDF1jI]YouTube - Tunnels are Fun - Audi S4[/ame]

[Z0rn]

I tell you man, your car sounds great. To bad about the slow speed limit and the slow ass guy in the red truck in front of you. I'm going to try and do a tunnel vid next time I'm in Thorold.

Cheers man.

[Axel]

When I lived in the south of France, I used to drive to Geneva and back every month. About a 6 hour drive. One of the best drives ever for me. Anyway, one time, I decided to count the number of tunnels I went through. I counted 142 tunnels, including the Mont Blanc tunnel which is 8kms long. Unfortunately, the Mont Blanc tunnel is limited to 70km/h (deadly accidents have caused them to put speed cameras every 300 metres or something like that).

The best ones were along the Italian coast line.

I know this is a Canada forum but if you guys are ever visiting northern Italy, be sure to drive along the coast between the French border and Genoa.

(Unfortunately, I had a crap car so I couldn't enjoy the sounds).

As for Toronto, I think the only option is Lakeshore under the Gardiner (which isn't great and isn't a tunnel).

[sakimano]

When I lived in the south of France, I used to drive to Geneva and back every month. About a 6 hour drive. One of the best drives ever for me. Anyway, one time, I decided to count the number of tunnels I went through. I counted 142 tunnels, including the Mont Blanc tunnel which is 8kms long. Unfortunately, the Mont Blanc tunnel is limited to 70km/h (deadly accidents have caused them to put speed cameras every 300 metres or something like that).

The best ones were along the Italian coast line.

I know this is a Canada forum but if you guys are ever visiting northern Italy, be sure to drive along the coast between the French border and Genoa.

(Unfortunately, I had a crap car so I couldn't enjoy the sounds).

As for Toronto, I think the only option is Lakeshore under the Gardiner (which isn't great and isn't a tunnel).

good stuff

that tunnel had a huge fire that filled the tunnel with smoke and killed a bunch of people...because everyone stopped as they couldn't see 5 feet...and then they died of smoke inhallation. Mont Blanc tunnel I mean. something like 30 people died...

It was a margarine truck that caught fire...presumably from a cigarette butt flicked out of the window of a passing car. Incredibly bad luck. Apparently margarine is INTENSE as a fuel for fires. More insane than jet fuel they said. It couldn't have been a worse truck that caught on fire.

[beemercer]

Oooh yeah processed fat is gonna burn good and smoky

[boravr6]

Buddy of mine was with me when i read the post about the fire...

When i went for lunch i found a tub of margerine and a lighter with a note that said "Do it... i dare you"

LOL