Brockville Railway Tunnel almost open to the public

The Brockville Railway Tunnel is almost ready to be opened up to the public.

Earlier this week the City of Brockville Railway Tunnel Committee hosted a sneak-peak of the tunnel for major donors, government officials, city councillors and committee members. The event was not just an opportunity to view the newly renovated tunnel but also allowed the Tunnel Committee to formally thank their donors and staff that worked on the project. Brockville’s Ford Electrical Company Limited, and owner Dan Bouwers, were given high praise for designing and building the lighting system used to change the tunnel’s colour.

The tunnel uses more than 700 of Philips Lighting’s Colour Kinetics ColourGraze Powercore LED Fixtures, with 2,800 independently controlled nodes. This is the same technology being used to light the CN Tower, Empire State Building and a number of other major tourist destinations around the world. Representatives from Philips Lighting pointed out that the completion of this project makes it the first railway tunnel using the technology anywhere.

Construction on the tunnel started in August of 2016 with masonry repairs being done during the winter that followed. The electrical infrastructure started being installed in the spring of this year, along with a new rock base and concrete pathway. Video cameras, a sound system, emergency buttons, wireless internet and cell phone service have all been installed within the tunnel to ensure visitor safety.

The Tunnel Committee is planning a “first look” fundraiser for July 27^th. By purchasing a $75 ticket through Snapd the public can be one of the first to see the inside of the completed tunnel. The tunnel gates officially open on August 12^th with a parade and opening ceremony. The festivities are part of Brockville’s 150 Rails to Trails Festival that is running from August 10^th to 13^th. Philips Lighting says they expect the completed tunnel project is to have more than 30,000 visitors annually, both local and foreign.

For more information on the railway tunnel project go to www.brockvillerailwaytunnel.com.