Big Walker Mountain Tunnel
The Big Walker Mountain Tunnel is a vehicular tunnel in the Appalachian Mountains of Southwest Virginia 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, and about 20 miles (32 km) south of its longer cousin, the East River Mountain Tunnel.
 Detailed shot of northbound entrance | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Official name | Big Walker Mountain Tunnel |
| Location | Bland County, Virginia, USA |
| Coordinates | 37°2′19″N 81°7′51″W |
| Route |  I-77 |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 1972 |
| Toll | None |
| Technical | |
| Length | 4,229 ft (1,289 m) |
| No. of lanes | 4 |
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 $249 million in 2021[1]), which at the time was the most expensive single project undertaken on Virginia's Interstate system.[2] The opening of the tunnel reduced the travel time from Wytheville to Bland County by 30 minutes.[3]
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 January 1, 2023. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the Measuring Worth 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.
