Park River Conduit Outlet (Connection with CT River) (Hartford, Connecticut)

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A little-known fact among most Connecticut residents, there is actually a real river flowing through Hartford directly beneath the city's streets; it wasn't always that way, though.

Originally used by early settlers to power mills and dispose of livestock waste, the Park River (also known as the Hog River) was important to the early economy of the Hartford area.

Unfortunately, the river eventually became dirtied & filled with waste; by the late 1800's it brought water-borne disease to nearby residents during the summer months. The health risks associated with the river became an accepted part of life and the river continued to flow through Hartford, but that all changed in the late 1930's.

When the great flood of 1936 inflicted millions of dollars of damage upon the city, lawmakers and residents saw first hand the destructive power of the Park River. But the event that finally sealed the river's fate was a second major flood just two years later, in 1938. This tragedy coupled with the other problems caused by the river convinced the local and state government to take action to protect Hartford from another disaster.

The plan was to build a giant underground conduit system composed of twin reinforced concrete tubes 30 feet wide and 19.5 feet tall that would redirect the river underneath Hartford, in addition to serving as a flood control measure. The Army Corps of Engineers began construction in 1940, and by the end of 1943 the original mile-long (approx.) section of the conduit was finished. Since then, the conduit has been expanded and now has North and South entrances. The outlet of the system is about 4000 feet upstream from the Charter Oak bridge.

The underground river is still accessible to those who know where to look, and several people have ventured into its pitch-black caverns with canoes, only armed with headlamps to light the way...

www.bushnellpark.org/Content/The_Park_River.asp
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   41°45'44"N   72°41'3"W

Comments

  • Correct me if I'm wrong, but the portion of the Park River which runs below the Bushnell Park is in more of a straight line than shown on this polygon. It was diverted a few hundred feet south from where the river bends east directly east through the park, finally being located under the Whitehead Highway.
  • When I made this entry several years ago, I outlined the original route of the park river. Someone later renamed this to the "Park River Conduit", which I believe now follows the route you describe.
This article was last modified 15 years ago