Big Walker Mountain Tunnel on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
The Big Walker Mountain Tunnel is a vehicular
The tunnel was first opened in 1972 after five years of construction labor. It carried a price tag of $50 million (equivalent to $ in ), which at the time was the most expensive single project undertaken on
Virginia asked to ease load restrictions in I-77 tunnelsVDOT Bristol District Information
Buildings and structures in Bland County, Virginia Road tunnels in Virginia Interstate 77 Buildings and structures in Wythe County, Virginia Transportation in Wythe County, Virginia Transportation in Bland County, Virginia Tunnels completed in 1972 {{US-tunnel-stub
tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, and enclosed except for the entrance and exit, commonly at each end. A pipeline is not a tunnel, though some recent tunnels have used immersed tube cons ...
in the Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...
of Southwest Virginia
Southwest Virginia, often abbreviated as SWVA, is a mountainous region of Virginia in the westernmost part of the commonwealth. Located within the broader region of western Virginia, Southwest Virginia has been defined alternatively as all Virg ...
that carries Interstate 77 through and under Big Walker Mountain. It is located a few miles south of the town of Bland in Bland County and a segment of the Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian Trail (also called the A.T.), is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states.Gailey, Chris (2006)"Appalachian ...
, and about south of its longer cousin, the East River Mountain Tunnel.
History
The tunnel was first opened in 1972 after five years of construction labor. It carried a price tag of $50 million (equivalent to $ in ), which at the time was the most expensive single project undertaken on Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
'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
Big Walker Lookout is a observation tower located in the Blue Ridge Highlands Region atop Big Walker Mountain in Bland County, Virginia.
Location
The tower is accessed from the Big Walker General Store, just off US Route 52 about from Wy ...
, a observation tower built on Big Walker Mountain about west of the tunnel.
References
Virginia asked to ease load restrictions in I-77 tunnels
External links
Buildings and structures in Bland County, Virginia Road tunnels in Virginia Interstate 77 Buildings and structures in Wythe County, Virginia Transportation in Wythe County, Virginia Transportation in Bland County, Virginia Tunnels completed in 1972 {{US-tunnel-stub