Wow!  I have been gone from this website for nearly two years!   I decided to open up my FrontPage software and rebuild parts of the website.  All references to "www.rays-hill.com" have been updated to www.abandonedturnpike.com.   I can use your help of course -- if you see the links published wrong out there on the Internet, please help me inform websites that the links have been updated. 

Not a lot has happened in the past two years with respect to the abandoned turnpike section and tunnels near Breezewood, PA.  In fact, Bedford County and the ownership of the area are still working things out for possible grant money and upgrades.  The Southern Alleghenies Conservancy group has disappeared completely -- no forwarding information or contact information can be found.  E-mails I have sent to groups in the area who might know about their status have been never been replied to.

While I don't have a lot of new information to add to our website, I am making some much-needed repairs to broken links and HTML coding, as well as some cosmetic updates to some of the pages.  Please bear with me on this, as the task is tricky at times.  I am just an amateur website operator with only unpaid-on-the-job training as a webmaster.   Since I live over four hours away from the tunnels and Breezewood, I do not know when I can make a trip there.  If any of you get there before I can get there, please feel free to send emails and photos.  I would love to include current photos on the website.

Business sponsors are still welcome to talk to me about helping to defray some of the expense of hosting this website and maintaining the domain names.  The sponsors from 2006-2007 greatly reduced the expense of this website, almost to the break-even point.   Talk to me if you're interested.

Take care everyone.  I am working on adding this website to Facebook.com, so that might add even more visitors.

If you have any information about the Southern Alleghenies Conservancy, Bedford County, or any authority who may be working to improve the area outside Breezewood, please let me know.

Here's to many blessings in 2010 ...    Ray

Just wanted to post a message here to let you know that your webmaster is still alive and has not fallen off the face of the earth.  My wife and I recently bought a house and it will be keeping us really busy with the fix-ups and repairs that come with buying a house.  It's not a fancy house and it needs a lot of updating, but like most things in life, it is an answered prayer and a blessing.  No doubt, I will be learning a lot of new things about woodworking tools and basic household maintenance that I never knew before.  While there most likely will not be any website updates this summer, please know that we are still accepting stories, pictures, videos and any submissions for use on the website. 

It has been mentioned in recent messages to our website that the Pike 2 Bike organization and the Southern Alleghenies Conservancy groups are working on obtaining funding for the turnpike trail by having Fulton County take over the ownership of the property.  This allegedly will give the trail a much better chance of obtaining grant and funding monies needed. 

An auto racing magazine has done a full story on the usage of the eastern portal storage area of Laurel Hill Tunnel and the tunnel itself.  You'll find this story link under the "Confirming the Rumors" box in the left panel. 

Sean Dalton, a visitor to the website recently, sent along the following idea that he has as a theory to the mysterious "X" in the hills to the east of Laurel Hill Tunnel, across the current turnpike routing ...

It looks to me like the area was used as a target for practicing drops from water bombers or dip-bucket helicopters. The idea, obviously, is to hit the "X" with the water while flying over. The area looks darker because it has gotten more "rain" than the surrounding area, and the plants are healthier. There are a few areas like this is Wayne National Forest in Ohio from the same thing, albeit without the large "X"s left behind, they must use plastic markers here or something similar.  --- SEAN

Joe, another visitor to our website offered this video link of some folks going to a lot of trouble to visit the eastern side of Laurel Hill Tunnel.  Please remember, this website does not condone trespassing on any part of Laurel Hill Tunnel ...

(Thank you, Joe, for all of your help in finding these videos!)

Lastly, we have a new sponsor on our website.  They are known as Carbonite.  Their setup uses your broadband Internet connection to automatically back up your computer daily.  They cost on $49.95 per year but the off-site safety and reliability are fantastic.  I myself use their service and have needed to do a restore already.  Their software installs easily and runs behind the scenes.  Check them out.  They even offer a free trial.