San Francisco’s Twin Peaks Triumph: 1918 Tunnel in Stunning Color!

This captivating colorized footage unveils the construction and opening of San Francisco’s Twin Peaks Tunnel in 1918—over a century ago—revealing a marvel of early 20th-century engineering. Stretching 2.27 miles (3.65 km) under Twin Peaks, this light rail and streetcar tunnel, extending Market Street, was a game-changer for San Francisco’s transit, opening on February 3, 1918, and marking its 100th anniversary in 2018. The film captures the primitive yet ambitious methods—steam shovels clawing through rock, horse-drawn carts hauling rubble—followed by the tunnel’s grand opening, with throngs of eager residents queuing for that first ride, all in vivid hues. A dazzling window into San Francisco’s transit history, this restored archive grips history buffs, urban planners, and transit enthusiasts, offering a breathtaking glimpse of a city’s growth frozen in time.