Route I‑77 Length 4,229 ft (1,289.00 m) Opened 1972 Number of lanes 4 | Toll None No. of lanes 4 Phone +1 202-366-4000 | |
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Official name Big Walker Mountain Tunnel Address I-77, Dublin, VA 24084, USA Owner Virginia Department of Transportation Similar East River Mountain Tunnel, Blue Ridge Mountains, Hampton Roads Bridge–Tunnel, Wolf Creek Indian Village a, Edith Bolling Wilson Bi | ||
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/under Big Walker Mountain. It is located at 37°2.316′N 81°7.818′W, a few miles south of the town of Bland and a segment of the Appalachian Trail, and about 20 miles (32 km) south of its longer cousin, the East River Mountain Tunnel.
Contents
Interstate 77 north as we roll through big walker mountain tunnel in virginia
History
The 4,229-foot (1,288 m) tunnel was first opened in 1972 after five years of construction labor. It carried a price tag of $50 million, which at the time was the most expensive single project undertaken on Virginia's interstate system.[1] The opening of the tunnel reduced the travel time from Wytheville to Bland County by 30 minutes.[2]
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 tunnel approaches and surrounding area can be viewed from the Big Walker Lookout, a 100-foot observation tower built on a nearby peak.