Sideling Hill
For years the main road to western Maryland lead around a dangerous hairpin curve at Sideling Hill. To prevent the same obstacle in the new I-68, a section of the hill was dynamited in the early 1980's to allow the roadway through. Eight hundred and fifty feet of sedimentary rock formed 350 million years agon was revealed in the blast. The colorful layers in the rock illustrate the plate tectonics, which formed the Appalachian mountains. An exhibit center was built on the western side with observation decks, wildlife exhibits, and geologists explaining what the rock layers reveal. A pedestrian bridge was added to connect the center to parking lots on the eastern side of the interstate.
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| Cost: $20 million Depth: 340 ft, Length: 810 ft 5.2 million pounds of explosives used Hours: 9-5 everyday except certain holidays Phone: 301-842-2155 |
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