In 1876, an arched, stone tunnel was built under the Grand Trunk railroad tracks in Niagara Falls. So how did something built as a drainage passage become known as the "Screaming Tunnel" or the "Blue Ghost Tunnel"?
The Merritton Tunnel was completed in 1876, and opened in 1881. Using limestone, about 1,000 Irish immigrants worked on the project that spanned over 700 feet. Allowing traffic to cross the Welland Canal in St. Catherines, Ontario was the original purpose of the tunnel. The canal acted as a highway for boats travelling between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.
