New video explores abandoned Reading Viaduct Tunnel
In a new video series called “Uncover Philly,” local filmmaker Cory J Popp will be doing what we love him for: portraying Philadelphia in a unique, beautiful way.
In a new video series called "Uncover Philly," local filmmaker Cory J Popp will be doing what we love him for: portraying Philadelphia in a unique, beautiful way. This time around, Popp is digging into the city's well-known, lost and maybe forgotten, but not secret, treasures, and he's kicked off the series by exploring the Reading Viaduct Tunnel.
"The beautiful parts of communities tend to blend into the background and become less noticeable the longer someone lives there," Popp said in an email. "This series is a great excuse for me to capture the details of a community from a fresh perspective in a way that people can really share their pride."
The tunnel, built in the 1890s, was formerly used for freight trains and has been abandoned for over two decades. The Reading Viaduct Tunnel runs from 27th and Pennsylvania Avenue to 21st and Hamilton, and extends sporadically to Broad Street.
Of the tunnel, Popp says, "The tracks have been pulled up, walls are now lined with graffiti, but otherwise it looks very similar to when it was built."
He also hints that the elevated part of the Reading Viaduct, which the Friends of the Rail Park plan to rework in collaboration with the Center City District, will be an upcoming episode in "Uncover Philly." Watch the video to check out the historic tunnel you may have known was there but have never seen for yourself.