The St. Clair Tunnel
Text from the plaque
The first international submarine railway tunnel in North America was built here, 1889-9, by the Grand Trunk Railway Company of Canada. It connects Sarnia with Port Huron, Michigan. To compete with U.S. railways for the lucrative Chicago and mid-western freight and passenger traffic, the Grand Trunk required uninterrupted access to these areas. A ferry service across the St. Clair was considered unsatisfactory and a bridge impracticable. The tunnel and its approaches, over 3 km long and including 1837 m of iron tube, were built under the direction of Joseph Hobson. Electrification of the line through the tunnel was completed in 1908 and remained until the introduction of diesel trains.
Transcribed from the marker, not summarised.
Find the place
The County of Lambton
The City of Sarnia
On the north side of St. Andrew Street
between Christina Street South and Vidal Street South
N 42 57.461 W 82 24.614
Recorded September 2004. Check current access before visiting.