East River Mountain Tunnel
 Entrance to the East River Mountain Tunnel, Virginia side | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Location | Bland County, Virginia Mercer County, West Virginia |
| Coordinates | 37°16′30″N 81°07′26″W / 37.27500°N 81.12389°WCoordinates: 37°16′30″N 81°07′26″W / 37.27500°N 81.12389°W |
| Route |   I-77 / US 52 |
| Operation | |
| Opened | December 20, 1974 |
| Technical | |
| Length | 5,412 ft (1,649.58 m) |
| No. of lanes | 4 |
The East River Mountain Tunnel is a 5,412-foot (1,650 m) vehicular tunnel that carries Interstate 77 (I-77) and U.S. Route 52 (US 52) through East River Mountain between the communities of Bluefield, West Virginia, and Rocky Gap, Virginia.
History
Groundbreaking began on the tunnel on August 12, 1969, and after five years of labor it was opened to the public at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on December 20, 1974. At a cost of $40 million (equivalent to $167 million in 2020[1]), it was the most expensive construction project undertaken by the West Virginia Division of Highways at the time. Because the northern end of the tunnel is in West Virginia and the southern end is in Virginia, Virginia shared the cost of the project. The state line falls almost exactly across the midpoint of the tunnel; 51% of the tunnel is in West Virginia, and the remaining 49% is on the Virginia side.[2]
Prior to the opening of the East River Mountain Tunnel, travelers wishing to cross the state line had to navigate the narrow, twisting, guardrail-less route of US 52 up and over the mountain (now designated as SR 598 and WV 598). When fog or snow was present, the journey became arduous, and the road was occasionally closed completely (particularly in the winter months) due to treacherous conditions.
Location
The tunnel is located about 20 miles (32 km) north of its shorter cousin, the Big Walker Mountain Tunnel. The East River Mountain Tunnel is also one of only two land vehicular tunnels in the United States that cross a state line, the other being the Cumberland Gap Tunnel.[2]
The top of East River Mountain can be seen in the distance from Big Walker Lookout, a 100-foot (30 m) observation tower built on Big Walker Mountain.
References
- ^ Johnston, Louis; Williamson, Samuel H. (2022). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved February 12, 2022. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the Measuring Worth series.
- ^ a b Beth (May 3, 2020). "Most People Have No Idea This Unique Tunnel In Virginia Exists". OnlyInYourState. Retrieved March 5, 2017.
External links
- The Big Walker and East River Mountain Tunnels - Back in Time - Highway History - FHWA
- Bland County History Archives
- Virginia asked to ease load restrictions in I-77 tunnels
- VDOT Bristol District Info
External links
- Articles with short description
- Use mdy dates from May 2022
- Coordinates not on Wikidata
- Commons category link is the pagename
- AC with 0 elements
- Buildings and structures in Bland County, Virginia
- Buildings and structures in Mercer County, West Virginia
- Road tunnels in West Virginia
- Road tunnels in Virginia
- Interstate 77
- U.S. Route 52
- Transportation in Bland County, Virginia
- Transportation in Mercer County, West Virginia
- Tunnels completed in 1974