Description
For more than 70 years, one of Edmonton’s main north-south routes took drivers through a dimly lit, narrow underpass
known as “the Rat Hole.” Completed by 1928, the tunnel routed traffic on 109 Street beneath the Canadian National
Railway yards and 104 Avenue. The 168-metre-long underpass was only 3.3 metres high and six metres wide. Before the
underpass was built, northward traffic on 109 Street was blocked by 25 CN rail lines, restricting the city’s north-south
traffic to 101 Street and 116 Street.
Plagued by flooding and poor-quality building supplies, construction of the project ran overbudget. The dispute between the contractor and the City eventually reached the Alberta Supreme Court, where the contractor was awarded compensation. When the underpass first opened, it was known as The Subway. It was not long, however, before the arched passageway was widely referred to as the Rat Hole.
Throughout the 72-year life of the underpass, flooding was an almost annual occurrence. Drainage was a constant problem
because the tunnel’s road level was below that of adjoining sewers. As well, on numerous occasions the drivers of trucks
that exceeded the Rat Hole’s height restriction attempted and failed to enter the passageway. Out-of-town drivers,
unfamiliar with metric measurements and Edmonton’s few north-south routes, were particularly prone to making the
mistake.
In 2000, the 109 Street “Rat Hole” underpass was demolished and replaced with a six-lane intersection at 104 Avenue.
Feature Type
Underpass
Designation Year
1928