Pocatello Railway/Highway Tunnel

Location: On Center Street between First Street and Union Pacific Avenue, in Pocatello.

History: This tunnel, which channels automobile traffic under the railroad is typical of accommodations which are common in areas where flow of both rail and auto traffic is heavy.

This passage under the railroad tracks has its origins in 1913 as a wooden, above-ground pedestrian viaduct. It was surrounded by ethnic Greek and Chinese fruit and vegetable stands typical of the neighborhood. In 1934, a concrete underpass replaced the viaduct. By 1987, the tunnel was in need of repairs. The concrete walls were deteriorating—cracking, caused by water, ice, and freezing and thawing. The concrete walls were saw-cut back to a waist-high level and landscaping was added to make an attractive pedestrian walkway as well as serving the automobile and rail traffic needs.

Interesting points: Pocatello was built by the railroad industry. It was once the largest rail center west of the Mississippi. The Oregon Short Line Railway, a subsidiary of the Union Pacific Railroad, intersected with the Utah and Northern narrow-gauge railroad at Pocatello Junction. The land was originally a part of the Fort Hall Indian Reservation, and was purchased from the Shoshone-Bannock tribes in an arrangement approved by Congress. The townsite’s streets were laid out parallel and perpendicular to the Union Pacific tracks; Center Street became the chief business thoroughfare.

During World War II, more than 4,500 railroad cars passed through the city’s yards daily.