Pacifica Tribute
May 4, 2005

Devil's Slide Tunnel - A dream becomes a reality

By Chris Hunter

When the Ocean Shore Railroad began chugging along the San Mateo County Coast in the early part of the 20th century, part of the challenge was to cross the precarious Devil's Slide along the coastline.

They also had to build a tunnel through Pedro Point.

Both challenges were met with incredible engineering skills and determination, but the Ocean Shore Railroad had disappeared as a transportation service by 1921.

This Friday, May 6, another coastal tunnel related to Devil's Slide will be celebrated as county and state officials, along with ordinary citizens, hold a groundbreaking ceremony kicking off the $270 million Devil's Slide tunnel project. It is anticipated to take about five years before another celebration can be held upon completion.

(Actually, the project description is for two single-bore tunnels, each carrying one-way traffic, so nitpickers will always debate whether references to it should be plural or singular.)

Elation and amazement are the two dominant emotions of the day. The tunnel project represents a massive public backlash and ultimate victory over the original concept of bypassing the Devil's Slide area with a traditional four-lane highway climbing over Montara Mountain, bisecting the McNee Ranch State Park. Discussed for decades, the highway bypass was actually designed and partially funded, but the public never wanted it to happen.

In 1996, Measure T was approved by 76 percent of the San Mateo County voters, throwing the bypass away and demanding that a tunnel be built instead. When federal funding was made possible through the efforts of Congressman Tom Lantos and Senator Barbara Boxer, an expensive tunnel became feasible. It would have never happened as a state-financed project, everyone agrees.

The scenic Highway 1 roadway at Devil's Slide, at times inducing white knuckles and often the site of tragic accidents, will stay open during the construction period. Upon completion of the tunnels, the roadway will be closed to vehicles and become a pedestrian path and bike trail, possibly reverting to Golden Gate National Recreation Area ownership. A $34 million bridge crossing over part of Shamrock Ranch, connecting the existing Highway 1 to the north portal of the tunnel project, is included as part of the overall project.

The groundbreaking ceremony is a milestone that many people only imagined would occur. Organizers have said it's been more difficult to set up the celebration party at the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company than getting the tunnel built because so many people have been involved through the years. How do you avoid stepping on toes when thousands of people feel ownership of Measure T and the Devil's Slide story?

But the reality of finally having a "groundbreaking" celebration is testimony to the dedication of countless individuals, organizations and officials along the Coastside. We asked a few folks for their thoughts on this auspicious occasion. (Send us your comments if you have something to say about the Devil's Slide Tunnel(s) Project.)

"The desire of so many dedicated individuals over decades is now about to become a reality," says Pacifica Mayor Julie Lancelle. "This is really a testimony to their hard work. They all deserve our thanks."

"After waiting almost 10 years, I'm very excited that the Tunnel is finally going to be built," says Pacifica resident and Tunnel activist Mitch Reid. "It's a great success story, people from all walks of life worked together to save our coast from environmental destruction. Big thanks to all the citizens that supported the Tunnel. With that support - the people saved Montara Mountain!"

"This is the culmination of hundreds of people to save Montara Mountain," says Scott Boyd, a Montara resident and Tunnel activist. "It's been a long time in coming but it's a complicated project. We saved the mountain. The bypass would have been an abomination. We always knew they could repair the road whenever it went out, but they were bent on doing a permanent repair. Better this than destroy the mountain. So many people on the Coastside need a road, the commuters need it, the businesses need it. If they were going to do something, this is a more reasonable approach out of all the options. We steered them away from something that would be far worse. I consider it a victory that we were able to redirect Caltrans the way we did. It certainly is a time to celebrate. The people made this happen. That Margaret Meade quote applies: 'Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.' We celebrated on that theme with passage of Measure T and we do so today. It's a reminder that people brought this to this point. We're still here. We can apply ourselves to many things just like this."

"Environmental concerns and political support from Sacramento are key aspects of the Devil's Slide bypass project, Congressman Tom Lantos says. "But federal funds are making it possible to produce a useful and lasting transportation solution for our region.

"The bad road has been a problem but I think the people on the Midcoast have admitted the tunnel was designed to prevent growth south of the slide," says Pacifica City Council member Cal Hinton. "They've limited the access. It won't make it any better, trafficwise. I thought the bypass was an interesting scenic route with a great view. And the whole opposition to the bypass was to support the tunnel and to reduce growth. Like we've done for the last 50 years, we will have to live with existing conditions. We had a one-lane road that closed frequently; hopefully with the tunnel it won't close so frequently at least. But with tunnels there are incidents. There could be accidents with commuters trapped by fire; they can't get out or back out. They do have ventilation systems, but there could be a major fire with tanker trucks. There are inherent dangers with tunnels. We have to be realistic."

"I didn't think that I'd live to see it," says Mike Mooney of Pacifica. "I guess there is a light at the end of the tunnel. And it will open up a new oceanfront trail, too. I campaigned heavily for Measure T."

"I'm absolutely elated," says April Vargas, vice president of the board of the Committee for Green Foothills. "I'm looking forward to a wonderful, completed project. Everyone is universally pleased. Even people who wanted de-watering only are supportive. This is the project and we have to have a project. A lot of people are still surprised it's happening. We're fortunate that Congressman Tom Lantos has worked so long and hard on this. It's not at the mercy of the capriciousness of state funding. We've got the federal money. It's there and it's earmarked."

"It's a great day," says San Mateo County Supervisor Rich Gordon. "I'm really tickled to see us get here. A project of this size and scale doesn't just happen. There were countless hours that citizens spent to get Measure T on the ballot. People like Mitch Reid and so many others. The folks at Shamrock Ranch. People on the Midcoast who spent hours collecting signatures. Caltrans committed themselves. The hours that Tom Lantos spent working on this. And Barbara Boxer was able to get that simple language into the emergency bill to fund it with federal money. When I was elected eight years ago, I began chairing monthly meetings. We met monthly for years, trying to keep everybody's feet to the fire. People were supporting de-watering, or concerned about habitat for frogs. On Friday, the ceremony will be a quick little blip in time that will not adequately reflect what it took to get us here. Before long, we will have a safe and secure road. Every time I drive across Devil's Slide, I get anxious. At some level, there's always that fear and soon, we will have a safe road. I think whenever you do something like this kind of endeavor, there are always going to be people who are going to be unhappy, but I'm not aware of anyone for whom that upsetness has risen to to the level to stop what's going to happen. I'm hopeful that these things don't rise to a level of interference. I have some trust, that if you keep your eye on the end result - a safe and secure road - that maybe it's OK to let go of any upsetness. I was reflecting that my campaign platform in 1996, the year of Measure T, involved getting the tunnel built. It's been eight years to get to this point. If I'm successful in being re-elected in 2006, I may get to celebrate the opening of the tunnel as a county supervisor. This has the potential to be the bookends on my service to county government."

"I think it's incredibly exciting," says City Council member Jim Vreeland. "Not only will there be a safe and secure passage, but we'll have what I think will be one of the world's most incredible all-purpose trails. We've connected all our trails here in Pacifica up to Pedro Point. Pacificans can already get there. Now, we've worked with Caltrans to make the trail also the water line for fire suppression to the tunnel. We're a small part of the project, but we're making sure that when Caltrans leaves in five years, this trail will be in place. We're going to have assets like the Marin Headlands. It's really exciting. The tunnel is going to have a big regional impact."

Page last updated September 13, 2010 .