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 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 (1,289.00 m) |
| No. of lanes | 4 |
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. 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 observation tower built on Big Walker Mountain about five miles east of the tunnel.
