Devils Slide Tunnel Opening

a n d p e s c a d e r o p e b b l e

IT’S OPEN

CONGRATS ON THETUNNEL OPENINGHALF MOON BAY!

Stop by Sam’s tocelebrate with

our special“Tunnel of Love”

cocktail.

AFTER DECADES IN THE MAKING, DEVIL’S SLIDE TUNNELS

FINALLY OPEN FOR TRAVEL

TOM

LAN

TOS

TUN

NEL

SAP

PRO

X. 4

,200

FEE

T

1,00

0 FE

ET

BRID

GE

DEV

IL’S S

LID

E

Wednesday, March27, 2013

8-PAGE DEVIL’S SLIDE TUNNELS SPECIAL SECTION

Regular newspaper insideSee inside for March 27 edition of the Half Moon Bay Review.

GRey WHale Cove State BeaCH

SaN PeDRo PoINt

MCNee RaNCHState PaRK

olD HIGHWay to Be CoNveRteD to PeDeStRIaN aND BIKe tRaIl aS PaRt of tHe CouNty PaRKS SySteM. 2014 PRojeCteD oPeNING.

1.4 MIleS: DIStaNCe BetWeeN SoutH PoRtal aND

NoRtH eND of BRIDGeS

tuNNelS oPeNeD foR tRaffIC oN tHe NIGHt of MoNDay, MaRCH 25.

GolDeN Gate NatIoNal

ReCReatIoN aRea

BuNKeR

oPeRatIoNSCeNteR

SoutH PoRtal

NoRtH PoRtal

WatCH toWeR

SHaMRoCK faRMS

Pa

CI

fI

C

oC

ea

N

Mo

Nt

aR

a

P a C I f I C a

BySaraHayden[ [email protected] ]

At 11:33 p.m. on Monday, the first cars rolled through the Tom Lantos Tunnels at Dev-il’s Slide. Two-and-a-half hours later, both bores were

open for business. When the commute started later Tuesday morning, a new day had dawned.

The opening of the tunnels was wel-comed by people like 26-year Montara resident Chuck Lintell. He remembers the days when the slide was out — hard days when his wife had to bike over Montara Mountain to catch an express bus to work in San Francisco.

“She did it twice a day. Gets you in shape — once there and once back,” said Lintell.

No more. Against the drum roll of the Half Moon Bay and Terra Nova high school bands, the ceremonial ribbon was cut on Monday. A couple hundred dignitaries had been invited for what was truly a historic occasion in San Ma-teo County.

“I think it will make a big difference,” said San Mateo County Supervisor Don Horsley. “Before, you never knew when you woke up if you’d have to go back up (Highway) 92 or back track … (Now, it’s) safe, reliable transportation.”

The project has been decades in the making. The tunnels, the first to be built in California in 50 years, cost $439 mil-lion. They were delayed by more than a year and ran $148 million over the initial budget, but will provide a dependable and environmentally sound passage.

At the opening ceremonies, young-er members of the audience marveled as they stood within the 4,200-foot-long tunnels. Shelby Boyd, a 19-year-old col-lege student, came back home to Mon-tara for her spring break so she could

witness the historic moment with her younger siblings.

“It’s really exciting. It’s awesome to see it,” said Boyd. She recalled that she first showed her support for the tunnels at the age of 2, when she ran around the Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival in a Halloween costume that bore a bumper sticker supporting Mea-sure T, the ballot measure that finally turned the tide toward constructing the tunnels.

After invitees had a chance to mill around the tunnels on foot and, in some cases, unicycle, scooter or bicycle, state and local dignitaries commemorated the event by sharing memories and paying their respects to the countless people who made the tunnels possible.

U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier recognized four women in particular for their ef-forts on the Devil’s Slide campaign: U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, Coastsiders April Vargas and Zoe Kersteen-Tucker, and environmental activist Lennie Rob-erts, describing the tunnel project as the “Golden Gate Bridge of the south” and a “testament of the ballot.”

“So, ladies and gentlemen, this is in-deed a happy ending to a fairy tale that could have been a sci-fi,” said Speier. r

INSIDEt a win for Measure t supporters. 2AAt the movers and shakers of the tunnel project. 2AAt follow the long and winding road of Devil’s Slide from early explorers to open-ing day. 4AAt a short story of Devil’s Slide history. 4AAt a selection of photos from the opening ceremonies. 6AA More can be found on the photo galleries at hmbreview.com.t How the tunnels will impact some of our neighbors to the north. 7AA

4,200Approximate length in feet of tunnels (the northbound bore is slightly longer).

2,200Conservative estimate of the number of days it took to complete the project. This includes tun-nels, the operations center and approach roads. That’s more than three times longer than what was originally estimated.

30Width in feet of each tunnel.

415Number of days and nights the road has been closed for extended periods of time since 1941.

1,000Length in feet of the twin bridges approaching the north portal of the tunnels.

2Rank in California tunnel length (longest is Wawona in Yosemite).

22Height in feet of each tunnel.

$291,000,000Original allocated budget.

$439,000,000Actual cost of tunnels.

$35,000,000Approximate cost of the Golden Gate Bridge.

MoNtaRa State

BeaCH

Mark Foyer / Review

Politicians, activists and officials joined together in a ceremonial ribbon-cutting at the south por-tal of the tom lantos tunnels at Devil’s Slide on Monday afternoon.

BIL

L M

UR

RAY

/ R

EVIE

W

Volume ı ı4 Number 49 | 75 cents Serving the entire San Mateo Coastside since ı898 www.hmbreview.com

2AA half moon bay review n special devil’s slide tunnel opening n wednesday, march 27, 2013

Waw

ona

T

unne

l Y

ose

mit

e42

23

Dev

ils’ S

lide

Tun

nel N

ort

h41

49

Dev

ils’ S

lide

Tun

nel S

out

h40

08

Cal

dec

ott

T

unne

l Wes

t37

71

Bro

adw

ay

Tun

nel S

an

Fran

cisc

o

1968

Wal

do

Tun

nel

1000

Yer

ba

Bue

na

Tun

nel

540

050

010

0015

0020

0025

0030

0035

0040

0045

00

540

1000

1968

3771

4008

4149

4223

WAW

ON

A Tu

NN

eL Y

Ose

miT

e

Dev

ils’

sli

De

Tun

nel

no

rTh

Dev

ils’

sli

De

Tun

nel

so

uTh

CALd

eCO

TT T

uN

NeL

Wes

T

BRO

AdW

AY T

uN

NeL

sF

WAL

dO

Tu

NN

eL

YeRB

A Bu

eNA

TuN

NeL

How

do

they

com

pare

?th

e ne

w D

evil’

s Slid

e tu

nnel

s are

the

seco

nd lo

nges

t in

Calif

orni

a. H

ere

is ho

w th

ey c

ompa

re to

oth

er n

earb

y tu

nnel

s.

Passage of Measure T goT Tunnel ProjecT

off The groundBySaraHayden

[ [email protected] ]

It was six months of traffic jams in lieu of risking unsafe conditions in 1995. Devil’s Slide was closed. Again.

That was the final straw. Devil’s Slide had become a repeat offender bringing tortuous commutes to residents and financial losses to Coastside businesses.

“They didn’t necessarily want the tunnels. They didn’t care what it was. They just wanted it fixed,” said Dana Neitzel, the curator of the San Mateo County History Museum in Red-wood City.

However, there were still strong opinions about which options might be better than others.

Caltrans proposed plans for a wide bypass at Martini Creek.

Montara Mountain would be carved up. Cars would drive over. And life would go on. Right?

Not so fast.“Do you want a blight on the mountain or

an environmentally friendly tunnel project in-stead?” Zoe Kersteen-Tucker urged people to ask themselves.

Kersteen-Tucker became the spokeswoman for Measure T — a slide solution that would satisfy both the pro-environment contingent and the pro-development faction. The purpose of the measure was to make tunnels the pre-ferred solution and prohibit any alternatives, including a bypass, by amending the local coastal plan.

The tunnels would be environmentally sensitive and comply with Coastal Act lim-itations that would preserve Highway 1 as a scenic route. They would also protect the quality of life for Coastsiders and visitors, sparing them the noise and pollution that would have resulted from a bypass. Most importantly, it would provide a safe and reli-

able route for travelers.“People had very different reasons for sup-

porting the issue,” remembers Chris Thol-laug of Montara, who became one of Mea-sure T’s proponents and represented the Sierra Club.

Other proponents included Mitch Reid from Pacifica’s Tunnel Alternative for High-way 1 group, Lennie Roberts from the Save Our Coast Committee, Chuck Kozak from the Committee for the Permanent Repair of High-way 1 and Kersteen-Tucker.

However, it took thousands of supporters to pass Measure T. Proponents needed to collect a minimum of 22,019 signatures on petitions to get it on a ballot.

Before the age of widespread social me-dia blasts with Facebook and Twitter, many remember it as the first campaign that they participated in that used the Internet, which replaced the old-fashioned phone tree. Cam-paign advocates took advantage of newly avail-

able website and email technology to help spread the word. Powered by T-shirt sales and bake sales to promote the campaign, they got 34,924 signatures.

After Measure T was eligible for an election, voters across San Mateo County needed to ap-prove it.

Earlier, Reid received Caltrans documents concerning Devil’s Slide from a public records request. It brought to light a report that dat-ed to 1993, stating that a tunnel would be no more expensive than a bypass. Reid’s sleuth-ing led to an official tunnel study.

A week before the election took place, the results came out stating that the tunnels were feasible.

Measure T won in a landslide with 74 per-cent voter approval.

“We saved Montara Mountain, and now we’ll have one of the most beautiful walks on the planet in the form of Highway 1 — forever and ever!” said Kersteen-Tucker. r

[ m e a s u r e t ]

A titanic win for tunnel supporters


The Devil’s Slide tunnels and accompany-ing bridge and other infrastructure were con-structed with the collaboration of countless passionate people. Here are a few of the key players.

Tom LantosThe tunnels are officially named the Tom

Lantos Tunnels at Devil’s Slide, and with good reason. The name is a nod to a man who led an extraordinary life and achieved some ex-traordinary results for the Coastside.

The late U.S. representative survived the Holocaust. He was the first person who had done so to serve in Congress.

He also served as the chairman of the House For-eign Affairs Committee and became a staunch support-er of finding a fix for Devil’s Slide.

Nearly three decades ago, the road failed, halting traffic in its tracks for months. Lantos secured emergency federal money to the tune of $50 million for a long-term solution. That seed money went a long way toward making today’s tunnels possible.

Zoe Kersteen-TuckerMoney is the first step in getting a project

off the ground, but they don’t get anywhere without solid work.

Former Committee for Green Foothills President Zoe Kersteen-Tucker made sure

there was follow-through. She got on board in 1995

as the spokeswoman for the Measure T campaign. She remained active throughout the next decade, taking the lead in making sure the proj-ect was completed. She pres-sured Caltrans to ensure that an environmental impact re-port was completed so tun-

nel construction could proceed.“That’s thanks to hundreds and hundreds

of people … who came together to pass Mea-sure T,” said Kersteen-Tucker. “I think it’s a significant achievement in the context of to-day’s political climate that is extremely divi-sive and where compromise is viewed as a no man’s land.”

Lennie RobertsLennie Roberts had just one goal in mind

when she joined the Devil’s Slide battle as the legislative advocate representing the Committee for Green Foot-hills, which she has been a part of for more than three decades.

“I wanted to see this thing end,” she said. “I wanted to be sure we had a safe, per-

manent solution to the project.”

She got involved with the push for Measure T. The campaign turned out to be a smash-ing success. Voters passed Measure T with 74 percent approval.

Later, Roberts was recognized for her ef-forts, in part due to a no-show at the ground-breaking of the tunnels’ construction. She was charged with ceremonially breaking the ground with a drill.

“Here’s this female citizen. All the men were jealous because I’m sure they would have loved to use the big machines,” she joked.

Rich GordonBefore they were built, some people en-

visioned tunnels that would blend into the mountainside. Others imagined them to stand out, decorated with ocean waves and

other symbols that were rep-resentative of the natural area.

Now, the tunnels work with the natural landscape, and the associated mainte-nance center is covered by natural foliage.

What we see on the moun-tain is due in large part to

the efforts of former San Mateo County Su-pervisor Rich Gordon. He was there to hear all ideas out when he headed up the Aesthet-ics Committee for the tunnels and then plow forward with the design.

Ted LempertThe tunnels at Devil’s Slide were certain-

ly born of local efforts, but catching the at-tention of the federal government was vital to their creation.

One man who helped secure federal funds was state Assemblyman Ted Lempert.

“It was by the outcry of the community politically, let-ting the folks in Washing-ton know that the situation in Devil’s Slide was an emer-gency,” recalled San Mateo County Senior Planner Sam Herzberg.

Lempert introduced a measure that en-sured $52 million in federal emergency re-pair money that Tom Lantos would push to use for improving Highway 1 and the tun-nel project. He also introduced a bill that called for Caltrans to immediately draw up plans, a cost estimate and funding to jump-start the permitting process for the tunnels.

Chris ThollaugEarly on, Sierra Club member Chris Thol-

laug had decided that a bypass was not the way to go.

“Not only would it have been an envi-ronmental disaster, it would have been a

maintenance distaster,” said Thollaug. He wanted tunnels, which would be “sooner, safer, cheaper,” ac-cording to the Measure T campaign slogan.

As the chair of the Devil’s Slide task force under the Si-erra Club, he became a hub of information. He served as an

archivist and public speaker, and helped coor-dinate the citizens’ response to the closure of Highway 1 after the 1995 slide.

Have the tunnels met his expectations of being sooner, safer and cheaper?

“Fifteen years seems like a long time, but frankly, it’s worth it,” said Thollaug.

Charles KissickThe massive construction project became

something of a life’s work for many people. One of them was Charles Kissick, a geologist and engineer who grew up in Skylonda and played a significant role in determining the rock formations and water content around the bor-

ing site.Kissick began working on

the project in 1996, as an en-gineer for subcontractor AGS Inc.

“Caltrans got the go-ahead to study the tunnel in 1996 and the first thing you do is study the geology,” Kissick said.

His first role was some-thing of a dream job.

“For two weeks, I took my sack lunch and hiked around the mountain,” he said. “It was a great job.”

Kissick reported back on a site that includ-ed jagged granite formations on the south end and more problematic sedimentary rock on the north. He calls that northern stretch “pretty bad rock.”

The geology is the result of millions of years of geographic movement. He says the granite traveled 350 miles from the south and the San Andreas Fault.

After his paid hike, Kissick was rewarded with 20-hour days while taking core samples of the rock. In 2000 he began his own business, Sigma Prime Geoscience of Princeton. And he retained the contract to monitor groundwater on site. That is a job he did through November 2012.

Along the way, he moved his family back to the coast.

“I was living in San Francisco,” he explains. “But during downtime I had time to look around. We bought a lot in Montara and lived there for 13 years.”

Today he lives in Half Moon Bay and looks forward to a trouble-free drive north on High-way 1.

Key players and ‘tunnelistas’[ p e o p l e ]

tom lantos

Zoe Kersteen-tucker

lennie Roberts

Rich Gordon

ted lempert

Chris thollaug

Charles Kissick

Bill Murray / Review

Zoe Kersteen-Tucker, the spokeswoman for Measure t, gave an emotional speech at Monday’s opening ceremony and urged the ‘tunnelistas’ to stand up and be recognized.

“I wanted to see this thing end. I wanted to be sure we had a safe, permanent solution to the project.”

— Lennie Roberts

FEET

Sou

rce:

Wik

iped

ia.c

om

half moon bay review n special devil’s slide tunnel opening n wednesday, march 27, 2013 3AA


If you miss the Devil’s Slide views by car, catch them on foot. The old road will be open as a public trail in the not-too-distant future. Improvements to the natural recreation area prior to its opening are ex-pected to be completed in 2014.

The trail between the tun-nels’ north and south portals will lead from the west side of Highway 1 at the Monta-ra Lighthouse to the east side of Highway 1 up to Devil’s Slide.

The trail will serve bicyclists, pedestrians and runners, and ultimately connect a 4.5-mile-long stretch between Prince-ton and Pacifica.

“We always go into these planning periods to devel-op trails that can be used by as many people as possible,” said Sam Herzberg of the San Mateo County Planning and Building Department.

However, the grade of the slope is too steep to meet ADA requirements to make it wheelchair accessible, said planning authorities, and there are restrictions against motorized Segways and skate-

boards.Contractors have been se-

lected and the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors has fronted money to be used on planning and specs, which will be a joint effort between several county departments and other agencies that make up a Devil’s Slide task force.

Caltrans will construct park-ing areas at both ends of the Devil’s Slide tunnels. They will be accessible as soon as the park trails open in 2014. They will be located on the west side of the highway at both portals, said Steve Monow-itz, the county’s planning and building deputy director. Offi-cials indicate that there will be about 15 spaces.

“This is a patchwork, but we’re all working together to navigate this area,” said Herz-berg. “We’ll all have pieces of the puzzle to implement.”

This includes wayfaring with signs, and improvements where no trail exists yet.

The area will be open 365 days a year and follow regular county park hours.

San Mateo County bears temporary responsibility for it. County officials are current-ly seeking agencies to adopt it, as well as identifying steady

sources of income for its fu-ture maintenance and opera-tions.

Eventually, the trail will con-nect with a series of other trails as part of the Calfornia Coastal Trail, which will ultimately run

between Oregon and Mexico.“I think it’s going to be a

great addition to the valuable network of trails we have here, so I think it’s something to look forward to,” said Monow-itz. r

Old Highway 1 to become public trail[ p a r k ]

Raise a toast to the new tunnel withour special martini,

THE DRIVE THRUYou’re sure to enjoy the ride!

IT’S OPEN!IT’S ITALIA

CELEBRATES THE SPRING OPENING OFTHE NEW TUNNEL!

401, Main Street, Half Moon Bay650.726.4444 • www.ItsItaliaRestaurant.com

Ara Croce, C.R.S.Ara Croce, C.R.S.Ara Croce, C.R.S.

Ara’s your advocate!Since 1974 she has represented her client’s best interests in real estate matters. Ara’s a CRS (Certifi ed Residential Specialist), and has achieved numerous awards while helping clients achieve their real estate goals. For prompt, professional results, call Ara and let her skill and creativity work for you.

Experiencethe Coastside!If you are looking for a real estate agent to represent you in one of the most important transactions of your life, you simply can’t do better than Allison Akana. She has handled three transactions for us.”

– TJ Glauthier and Brigid O’FarrellMoss Beach

Allison AkanaAllison AkanaAllison AkanaAllison AkanaAllison AkanaAllison Akana

Review File Photo

A model on display at the “punch-through” ceremony at the Dev-il’s Slide tunnel project details a proposed parking lot for the coastal bicycle and hiking trail that will lead along the old stretch of high-way at the southern entrance to the tunnel.

How they might have lookedthe results of the public survey from late 2002 show the elaborate portal designs that were considered. these were the two top vote getters over more subdued designs. the aesthetics Committee reviewed the survey and comments, but ultimately decided upon a much more mini-malist design that blends into the natural surroundings.

Trail To be oPened in 2014


THE

WINDING

1769 | spanish explorer Gaspar de Portolá journeys to-ward san Francisco Bay. Part of his journey takes him to the top of what is now known as montara mountain.

1887 | dr. John L.d. Roberts of New York founds seaside. After a shipwreck that injures many people in Point sur, he dreams of smoother roads to reach patients between san simeon and Carmel, and Highway 1 was conceived. He photographs the area and becomes one of the first sur-veyors of this area along the coast.

1912 | Ground is broken for Highway 1.

1919 | Construction begins in earnest on Highway 1.

1921 | Late u.s. Rep. Tom Lantos is born in Hungary. The congressman will become a key advocate for the tunnels at devil’s slide.

1973 | The Cali-fornia depart-ment of Trans-portation, now known as Cal-trans, is formed.

1983 | Road closed for 84 days after landslide. Lantos lobbies for $58 million in emergency repair money.

1986 | u.s. district Court Judge Robert Peckham grants a temporary restraining order against the construction of the bypass on sept. 3. Four months later, he stops it, referencing the Transportation Act of 1966.

1995 | devil’s slide is closed for nearly six months when the road is washed out after slipping as much as a foot per day. it remains closed for 150 days. in April, Pacifica resident mitch Reid obtains copy of a 1993 Caltrans memo that reports the agency had little information on tunnels. This contradicts other statements from Caltrans that said they had thoroughly in-vestigated and rejected the option. Tun-nel campaign known as measure T kicks off on Nov. 14. supporters gather 23,000 signatures on petitions and the measure qualifies for a ballot.

Stop-and-go journey to completion

defines tunnels’ history

Tunnels oPen afTer decades in The Making

BySaraHayden[[email protected] ]

The tunnels rest on the side of the mountain like slumbering twin dragons. Now offering peaceful passage to travelers be-tween Pacifica and Montara, the stretch of Highway 1 that they replace tested Californians’ spirits and tenacity not too long ago.

“The story of the development of the path really starts with the Native Americans,” said Dave Cresson, president of the Half Moon Bay History Association. According to Cresson, they may have waited for low tide at the beach, or traversed over a mountaintop footpath to make their way around the rocky point.

Spanish explorers also noted the treacherous landscape. In search of ag-ricultural opportunities for the Spanish mission system, Gaspar de Portolá had reportedly embarked on an expedition in 1769.

Monterey Bay was his target destination, but he ended up at Montara Mountain instead. In his diary he wrote, “Traveled two hours of very poor road uphill over a very high mountain, stoping (sic) on the height.”

From there, maybe de Portolá marveled at the blue of the Pacific Ocean expanding in the distance. Or maybe he was still caught up on the hazard-ous road conditions.

In any case, it has been a bit of both for the adventurers, business people and settlers that followed him.

By 1887, Dr. John L.D. Roberts had relocated from New York and found-ed the community of Seaside. Poor roadways made it difficult for patients to get medical care between San Simeon and Carmel. He photographed the conditions, becoming one of the coast’s first surveyors.

The California State Highway Commission broke ground for a project in 1912 that would have addressed Roberts’ complaints — Highway 1.

It wasn’t until 1937 that road construction was completed between Paci-fica and Montara. It opened to the public on Nov. 11 of that year.

Initially called the “Sea-Level Boulevard,” the area has commonly come to be known as Devil’s Slide.

It’s evident how the forces of nature have affected people there. Road clo-sures aggravated would-be wayfarers as they found themselves stranded in-numerable times and businesses suffered as the slide gave out.

In the 1960s, some citizens suggested building a six-lane bypass to help mitigate the closures. Some fought against it. In the meantime, the prob-lem persisted. In 1967, it was closed for 15 days.

The bypass surfaced again as a potential solution in 1972 with the bless-ing of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, but environmental-ists lashed out. A bypass threatened beloved views and sensitive creatures, such as bobcats, mountain lions, deer, raccoons, rabbits, garter snakes and red-legged frogs.

Representatives from organizations including Committee for Green Foothills, Save Our Shores, El Granada Residents Association and the Lo-cal Initiative for the Environment filed a lawsuit to halt the project. The court agreed, and the bypass was shot down.

In 1980, Caltrans authorities found cracks in the road. Mere hours later, a 30-foot-section of the pavement tumbled into the sea. Then, three years later, yet another slide put traffic at a standstill when the Devil’s Slide road was closed for 84 days. Congressman Tom Lantos rushed to the rescue, claiming more than $50 million in federal emergency funds to improve Highway 1 and help pay for a long-term solution.

In 1995, the road closed for 150 days. Coastsiders put down their foot. The closures were intolerable.

They needed a solution — now.In response to a bypass proposal resurfacing, Coastsiders united to pass

1980 | Caltrans finds cracks in the road. Hours later, a 30-foot-section of the pave-ment tumbles into the sea. The road is closed for 7 complete days and 31 nights. during the daytime, traffic can only roll one way.

SeeHISTORYa8A

Gaspar de Portolá statue in Pacifica

at the 2013 opening ceremony, Mike Moony of Pacifica shows this picture of himself at Devil’s Slide in the ’80s.


THE

ROAD

LONGWINDING

&

1937 | The “sea-Level Boulevard” is constructed between Pacifica and montara. Highway 1 opens to the public on Nov. 11. 1964 | Caldecott Tunnel is

built. Prior to the devil’s slide tunnels, it was the last such project in California.

1966 | Transporta-tion Act of 1966 all but prohibits trans-portation projects from using public parkland if there is an alternative.

1967 | slide moves, results in road closure for 15 days.

1972 | despite furtive com-plaints from opposition, the san mateo County Board of supervisors approves build-ing the bypass. On may 22, the sierra Club, Committee for Green Foothills, save Our shore, el Granada Residents Association, the Local initiative for the environ-ment acted as plaintiffs in a law-suit aimed at derailing the project. u.s. district Court Judge William sweigert rules in favor of environ-mentalists on dec. 6. Proposition 20 emerges, establishing the Cali-fornia Coastal Act this same year.

1996 | On Oct. 7, a tunnel study reveals that a tunnel would cost about the same as a bypass, $148 million. mea-sure T is passed on Nov. 5 with about 74 percent of the vote. The measure guards the environment around montara and san Pedro mountains.

2006 | The road at devil’s slide is closed for four months after it gives way yet again. Lantos visits. Construction bids for the tunnels exceed the original Caltrans’ esti-mate by a cool $32 million.

2007 | Tom Lantos secures federal fund-ing for tunnels. Bor-ing for the tunnels begins in september.

2008 | Lantos dies in Febru-ary. He is recognized for hav-ing helped secure $150 mil-lion in federal funds to pay for the road project, which was combined with another $120 million from the state to in-stall the tunnels and bridg-es at devil’s slide. The tun-nels are named the Tom Lan-tos Tunnels at devil’s slide in his honor. The devil’s slide bridge is completed at the end of september.

2009 | devil’s slide tunnel construction workers tap into an underground reservoir that resulted in 150 gallons of wa-ter rushing out per minute — more than twice the average rate of normal groundwater pockets in the area. it is esti-mated to contain about 2 mil-lion gallons in total. some of the water is used to improve the habitat of the threatened California red-legged frog.

2011 | montara Water and sanitary district sues san mateo County Lo-cal Agency Formation Commission in order to maintain water rights. exca-vation for the tunnels is completed on Jan. 18. Construction is halted for two days when high levels of harmful chromium is discovered in the water. Caltrans requires workers to monitor chromium levels.

2012 | Concrete is poured in the devil’s slide tunnels, coin-ciding with Highway 1’s centen-nial year. in march, san mateo County officials move forward with installing a stoplight at the tunnel’s south portal.

A TimeLiNe OF eVeNTs THAT

sHAPed HiGHWAY 1 ANd deViL’s sLide

1960 | An inland road, better known as the devil’s slide bypass, is suggested at a state Highway Commission meeting in Pa-cifica on Aug. 25. The proposal suggested a six-lane freeway that stretched 7.5-miles-long from shamrock Ranch in Pacifica’s Linda mar to the Coastside.

March 25, 201311:33 p.m.

The tunnels open.

1971 | On Aug. 7, Gov. Ronald Reagan announces a new coast-al highway planning policy that aims to protect the environment.

sour

ce: C

altr

ans,

Rev

iew

arc

hive

s.

By Sara HaydenGraphic by Bill Murray

Photo courtesy Wendy Brown


A Friendly place to stay and play!

Located in Pacificawww.shamrockranchkennels.com (650)359-1627

Safe, comfortable, serene dog & cat boarding

Ongoing doggie boot camp

Reasonably priced professional bathing & grooming

•

Aren’t You Curious?Stop by and check out

2 Bedroom1 Bedroom andStudio ApartmentsTours Daily between10AM and 4PM

Active Independent & Assisted Living• Day trips & 50+ activities every week• Two blocks from Burlingame Avenue• Secured underground parking• Luxurious apartments, with full kitchens

850 N. El Camino Real, S.M. • 650-344-8200 License# 41050763 www.sterlingcourt.com

•





•





2 Bedroom, 1 Bedroom,

Junior 1 Bedroom &Studio Apartments

Distinctive Lifestyles for Independent Seniors

Stop by for a tour any day 10 am - 4 pmNo appointment needed. We’d love to see you.

We WelcomeNew Patients

State of theArt Equipment

& Techniques

Gentle &Friendly Care

CosmeticDentistry

ConvenientLocation

Right OffOf Hwy 1

CABRILLOFAMILY DENTAL CARE

RYAN A. HENSPETTER, D.M.D.DIANA DIZIK, D.D.S.

JOHANNES P. KNUEPPEL, D.D.S.

We WelcomeNew Patients

State of theArt Equipment

& Techniques

Gentle &Friendly Care

CosmeticDentistry

ConvenientLocation

Right OffOf Hwy 1

CCABRILLOABRILLOFAMILY DENTAL CAREFAMILY DENTAL CARE

RYAN A. HENSPETTER, D.M.D.DIANA DIZIK, D.D.S.

JOHANNES P. KNUEPPEL, D.D.S.

669 Crespi Dr.Suite FPacifica, CA

(650) 359-1646pacificadentist.com

[ s c e n e s f r o m t h e o p e n i n g c e r e m o n y ]


The family of the late u.S. Rep. tom lantos was on hand to christen the new tunnels named for the project patriarch. Daughter annette tillemann-Dick spoke to the crowd.

Charles Russo / Review

The Half Moon Bay High School marching band joined the band from terra Nova High School in Pacifica to bring music to the event. they also led the cars out of the tunnel as they paraded through.


One of the first cars in the parade of vehicles was a 1913 Model-t ford. the car was built one year after ground was broken for High-way 1.


Eric Shapira, left, and Michael Wong, are about to enter the tun-nel in the parade of vintage cars.


John Lynch, left, and other “tunnelistas” celebrate the day.


Hundreds turned out at the invitation-only event to hear speakers and witness the ribbon-cutting event.


Kelly Huber had the unique experience of being able to ride her bike through the tunnel unimpeded.


A parade of old, classic cars helped open the newest tunnel project in the world.


For one day only, it wasn’t unusual to see people on bicycles and even unicycles making their way through the tunnels.


This photo of the geology near the south portal illustrates the chal-lenging terrain that the tunnel eliminates for motorists.


Wednesday: All Night Happy Hour,DIscounted Drinks, $1 Oysters4:30 – 9:30 pm, The Moonraker Bar

Thursday: All You Can Eat Fish & Chips 4:30 – 9:30 pm , $15/person, The Moonraker Bar

Sunday Champagne Brunch10:30am – 2pm, Moonraker Restaurant

Moonraker Just Got Closer!And so did these specials…

…only two miles from the north end of the tunnel

MOONRAKER650.557.7025 | 105 ROCKAWAY BEACH AVE., PACIFICA

Rice Trucking - Soil Farm We specialize in custom soil mixes, “awesome” boulders, water feature kits, retaining wall systems, pavers, sod, and many other landscape and construction materials. Come in and see our display areas for inspiration! We deliver.

Dig it! The Tunnel is open!

M-F 7-5, Sat 7-42119 S. Cabrillo Hwy. • Half Moon Bay(650)726-4354 or (650)726-0100

Look for Sunday brunch starting in April!Sign up on our mailing list for details and more.

425 Avenue Alhambra, El Granada Reservations: (650) 560-9039 or CafeGibraltar.com

Can You Say: “Tunnel Special???”Come in and order any entrée and get a free

bowl of Jose Luis' wonderful vegan puree of the day! Only the week the tunnel opens: Tuesday, March 26th – Friday, March 29th

“I’ve always loved the spot that’s become Lovey’s. Pacifica was actually selected because I moved here about seven years ago … Did the slides deter me? No, no. They did not deter me. They deterred me from moving to Montara, which I had considered doing years ago … I still dream of living in Montara.”

Muna Nash, Lovey’s Tea Shoppe owner

[ p a c i f i c a ]

Meet your neighbors to the northTHEY wERE ALwAYS THERE, bUT THE TUNNELS PROVIDE A NEw

SYMbOLIC LINK bETwEEN PACIFICA AND THE REST OF THE COASTSIDE.

“We’re very happy. I imagine this is going to bring us much closer together as a community … There will be no more closures, which severely impacted businesses on this side and on the other side.”

Cheryl Yoes, president of the Pacifica Chamber of Com-merce and owner of the Dial Glass and Window Company

“It’ll actually get a lot more customers out to Pacifica – actually both ways … We get a lot of birthday parties from the Coastside, usually for ages between 2 and 11.”

Tracie Tang, Sea Bowl special events director

Hikers can ride, fishermen can ride. We go to the golf course. You can bring your golf clubs on board. The only think we don’t allow is dogs, and that’s for a liability reason.”David Rogers, associate civil

engineer for Pacifica’s De-partment of Public Works

(Rogers is talking about a new weekend shuttle, which launched over the winter. It runs on an hourly basis around the city. Once the recreation area opens at Devil’s Slide sometime next year, the shuttle will extend its services so people can enjoy the new park area. Call 738-3767 for more information.)

“We’re looking at it as safety for our residents … as well as an economic boost for our businesses … We’ll hopefully capture those folks coming into Pacifica.”

Courtney Conlon, Pacifica Chamber of Commerce CEO

Living in Pacifica and running a business in Monta-ra, I resonate with the tunnel being constructed in ev-ery aspect of my life. In the past, when the slide “went down,” my commute to The Graphic Works (on Main Street in Montara) went from 8 minutes to an hour. This little part of Highway 1 has a huge effect on my business, my livelihood and my children’s daily care. Don’t get me wrong... I will really miss the breathtak-ing view of driving over the old Slide, but I look for-ward to the stability and ease of the new tunnel.

Kelly Davis-Hoffman, The Graphic Works Owner

How was Devil’s Slide named?

Historians are stumped about the ori-gin of the name, other than for its obvi-ous connotations. Half Moon Bay His-tory Association’s Dave Cresson has heard a theory that it was the transla-tion of a word in a Native American lan-guage, but he has alternatively heard that it was named for the way that the rock fractures there. Although Cresson said he can’t verify either theory, it does seem aptly named.

“The face twists and turns. Sheets of rock just fold up on each other in ser-pentine patterns,” said Cresson. “You can see the forces of the earth working on each other over the eons.”

Has Devil’s Slide been featured in movies?

You bet. Apart from the road closures, Hollywood has saluted the area on the silver screen with an infamous scene from a “Portrait in Black.” In the Uni-versal Studios film, two ill-fated lovers, played by Anthony Quinn and Lana Turner, push a car over the edge of the slide. It contained the body of a mur-dered man.

The studio had to obtain special per-mission from the state in order to shoot the scene. As part of the deal, the crew had to get the car from the bottom of the cliff after filming had wrapped.

There is no official count of the num-ber of regular motorists who took a fate-ful trip over the rocks.

What’s that spooky house on the rocks?

World War II military personnel were stationed out there so that they might spot and locate passing enemy ships. They stayed in concrete structures called “pillboxes.”

Not the only Devil’s SlideThere’s a steep precipice called Dev-

il’s Slide in Hawaii on an island called Nihoa. In Southern California, the Old Santa Susana Stage Road boasts its own perilous Devil’s Slide. There are also rock formations by the same name in Utah and Montana. Even Germany has its own version — the Teufelsrutsch.

[ t r i v i a ]


SAN MATEO COUNTYHARBOR DISTRICT

Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!Come join us!

THINGS TO DO AT THE PILLAR POINT HARBOR!

- PURCHASE FRESH SEASONAL FISH AND SHELLFISH- PICNIC WITH AN OCEAN VIEW- FISH FROM THE FISHING PIER - ENJOY PLEASURE BOATING- TALL SHIP SAILING CRUISES- HIKE ALONG SHORELINE TRAILS, OCEAN DUNES, AND BLUFFS- STAY AT THE RV PARK- ENJOY SPORTFISHING- DINE AT FABULOUS RESTAURANTS- VISIT PILLAR POINT MARSH AND OTHER NATURAL HABITATS

PILLAR POINT HARBOR: 4 MILES NORTH OF HALF MOON BAY ON HIGHWAY 1

OYSTER POINT MARINA: OYSTER POINT EXIT OFF 101 IN SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO

THINGS TO DO AT THE OYSTER POINT MARINA

- DOCK YOUR BOAT IN OUR 486 BERTH MARINA- BRING YOUR OWN BOAT AND USE THE BOAT LAUNCHING RAMP- FISH FROM THE 300 FOOT FISHING PIER- HIKE OR JOG ALONG THE BAYSIDE TRAIL - PICNIC IN THE 33 ACRE PARK- ENJOY THE 2.5 ACRE SANDY BEACH

C E L E B R A T I N G 8 0 Y E A R S O F S E R V I C E

Your Light at the End of the Fitness

Tunnel Since 2004

More at www.studio4pilates.com

Measure T in November of 1996. Seventy-four percent of voters approved building tun-nels to stabilize traveling con-ditions.

Kiewit Pacific Co. beat out a competing contractor in 2006 for the Devil’s Slide con-tract. The project included construction of two tunnels, a bridge on the north side, roadway revisions, equipment buildings and a subterranean office building.

The company thought they had competitor Shea, Tray-lor and Atkinson beat by es-timating that they could com-plete the project 400 days earlier and for $50 million less. Kiewit projected that the whole project would cost a to-tal of $272 million.

But until its completion, it remained the stuff of dreams, and the woes of a wayward road persisted.

Ground had been ceremo-nially broken for the project in 2005, but in April 2006 when the tunnels had yet to be constructed, Caltrans determined that the Dev-il’s Slide road was impass-able and closed it off to traf-fic for about four months. It opened again in August.

In September 2007, crews finally tapped into Montara Mountain. Boring began for the two tunnels.

By July 2008, both houses of the state legislature hon-ored U.S. Rep. Lantos and the tireless work he dedicat-ed to the road project by nam-ing the tunnels after him. He had died in February that same year. There were still no tunnels, but now Lantos had a legacy: the Tom Lantos Tunnels at Devil’s Slide. The bridge was completed in fall.

Light was literally visible at the end of the tunnel in 2010, when there was a ceremony for breaking through Montara Mountain in October.

The tunnels were to open in 2011, but their concrete wasn’t poured until February of 2012.

The delays were caused by

construction workers battling the environment, between movement of the soil and puncturing into water pock-ets.

At one point it vied for a spot on the priority list against the Bay Bridge, remembered San Mateo County Senior Planner Sam Herzberg.

“Which was the highest pri-ority in the Bay Area? I think Devil’s Slide fell behind the Bay Bridge for a time,” said Herzberg. “Even when you had all the funding, you had to get in line and wait.”

Most recently, there was an extended period of testing electrical and safety systems — the finishing touch on this beast of a project.

The tunnels are probably unlike anything that the Na-tive Americans, de Portolá or Roberts could possibly have fathomed when they first dreamed of better ways to travel.

They are nothing short of an engineering feat. Engi-neers designed the tunnels using the new Austrian Tun-neling Method, which was first developed in the late 1950s. It’s a technique charac-terized by using the strength of the surrounding rock to stabilize the tunnels.

Lab tests of rock cores helped engineers gauge how

to navigate the mountain. Then they worked on the tun-nels from the inside out. Bit by bit, workers chipped away at the tunnel by drilling and using controlled explosives to excavate the mountain.

Later, they added fiber-re-inforced concrete, rockbolts and lattice girders to create

one blanket of support, and reinforced concrete for fur-ther support.

Going forward, many agencies are teaming togeth-er to ensure smooth passage

for all. In the event of an ac-cident at the tunnel, Caltrans has developed an emergen-cy response plan in coordi-nation with the California Highway Patrol, Cal Fire and other local emergency re-ponse agencies. The Califor-nia Highway Patrol and San Mateo County Sheriff’s Of-

fice will handle law enforce-ment.

Half Moon Bay Mayor Rick Kowalczyk is anxious to see the tunnels completed, which he’s nicknamed “the Half Moon Bay tunnels.” He said that he thinks it means safer access to the coast and Half Moon Bay, as well as Pa-cifica.

“I see it as all upside – it’s all good,” said Kowalczyk. “(But) I think people should take a look at how long it took to get this good project done … I hope that, going forward, government can be more ef-ficient so we can get projects done that serve our commu-nity better and more efficient-ly, more cheaply. It’s sort of a running joke in most cir-cles that this took far, far too long.”

The tunnels opened to the public on March 25, years lat-er than expected and millions of dollars over budget. r

[ HISTORY ] First tunnel in state in 50 years

Engineers designed the tunnels using the “new Austrian Tunneling Method, which

was first developed in the late 1950s. It’s a technique characterized by using the strength of the surrounding rock to

stabilize the tunnels.

aContinuedfrompage4A

It’s open. After hundreds of stories and thousands of photographs about our

infamous little stretch of California coast, it is a great pleasure to be

able to put that headline in the Half Moon Bay Review. The Tom

Lantos Tunnels at Devil’s Slide are open.

Reading through our archive of stories has been fascinating. It is not

an overstatement to say that some local residents have given most of

their lives to this project. I had worked with the Committee for Green

Foothills for many years and witnessed the passion and commitment

that Zoe Kersteen-Tucker and April Vargas have, not just for this proj-

ect, but for whatever they set their minds to.

Whether you have been a proponent of the tunnels since the in-

ception of the idea or supported the bypass all along, we can at least

agree that the dedication and commitment to see this project to frui-

tion is inspiring.

May these tunnels increase the safety of all who travel through our rugged and beautiful coastline.

[ p u b l i s h e r ’ s n o t e ]

Bill Murray, Publisherand proud Montara resident

Half Moon Bay History Association / Courtesy

The route, circa 1920, that was replaced by Highway 1 in 1937.

Caltrans / Courtesy

Highway 1 has been prone to buckles and breaks at Devil’s Slide throughout the decades. Hazardous conditions by the 1990s proved in-tolerable, and spurred citizens to pursue a tunnel project as a solution.

Documents

Devils Slide Tunnel Opening