Big Walker Mountain Tunnel
History
The 4,229-foot (1,289 m) tunnel was first opened in 1972 after five years of construction labor. It carried a price tag of $50 million (equivalent to $276 million in 2023), which at the time was the most expensive single project undertaken on Virginia's Interstate system. The opening of the tunnel reduced the travel time from Wytheville to Bland County by 30 minutes.
Preliminary engineering studies for the project were made by Brokenborough & Watkins, consulting engineers of Richmond, Virginia, and the final design of the roadway and tunnel was by Singstad & Kehart, consulting engineers of New York City.
The north tunnel approach and surrounding area can be viewed from the Big Walker Lookout, a 100-foot (30 m) observation tower built on Big Walker Mountain about five miles (8.0 km) west of the tunnel.
References
- ^ Johnston, Louis; Williamson, Samuel H. (2023). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved November 30, 2023. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the MeasuringWorth series.
- ^ Longfellow, Rickie (June 27, 2017). "Back in Time: The Big Walker and East River Mountain Tunnels". Highway History. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
- ^ Virginia Department of Transportation (2006). "VDOT: 50 Years of the Interstate". Virginia Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on May 13, 2007.
External links
| International | |
|---|---|
| Geographic | |
 | This article about a building or structure in Virginia is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This article about transportation in Virginia is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This United States tunnel–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |