Blue Ridge Tunnel: Difference between revisions

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==Construction==
==Construction==


Crozet was hired as the tunnel's chief engineer in 1849, a year before construction began. Much of the labor was performed by Irish settlers and African-American slaves. <ref name="nv" /> A four-foot-long bit was drilled through the rock to make holes, which were then blasted open using black powder.  
Crozet was hired as the tunnel's chief engineer in 1849, a year before construction began. Much of the labor was performed by Irish settlers and African-American slaves. <ref name="nv" /> A four-foot-long bit was drilled through the rock to make holes, which were then blasted open using black powder. A group called [[Clann Mhór]] is seeking to build a memorial to the workers. <ref>{{cite-gazette|title=Clann Mhór Seeks Memorial to Blue Ridge Tunnel Builders|url=http://www.crozetgazette.com/2011/05/clann-mhor-seeks-memorial-to-blue-ridge-tunnel-builders/|author=Mike Marshall|pageno=|printno=|printdate=|publishdate=May 6, 2011|accessdate=}}</ref>
 


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 15:21, 7 November 2011

One entrance of the Blue Ridge Tunnel

The Blue Ridge Tunnel is the longest of four railway tunnels built through the Blue Ridge Mountains by Claudius Crozet. Construction began in 1850 and was completed in 1858. [1]

Details

The tunnel is four-fifths of a mile (4,281 feet) long, and at the time it was constructed, was the longest in the world. The first rail traffic was April 13, 1858 and the tunnel ceased to carry traffic in 1944Web. Ain't no mountain wide enough: To keep Crozet from tunneling a new attraction, Lynn Jo Jameson, The Hook, Better Publications LLC, November 21 2002, retrieved 25 Jan 2010..

The tunnel exits in Nelson County and Waynesboro, and travels through Albemarle County. The three jurisdictions have expressed interest in reopening the tunnel as part of a greenway system. Nelson County, the owner of the tunnel, applied for a $1 million transportation enhancement grant from the Virginia Department of Transportation in 2010 to renovate the tunnel[2] The work will involve adding parking lots, walking trails and the removal of two walls built in the 1950's when the tunnel was being considered for natural gas storage. However, the application was not successful. [3]

Construction

Crozet was hired as the tunnel's chief engineer in 1849, a year before construction began. Much of the labor was performed by Irish settlers and African-American slaves. [1] A four-foot-long bit was drilled through the rock to make holes, which were then blasted open using black powder. A group called Clann Mhór is seeking to build a memorial to the workers. [4]


References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Web. Crozet tunnel builders focus of program, Dustin Wooldridge, News Virginian, retrieved November 7, 2011.
  2. Davis, Megan E. "If Grant Comes Through, Blue Ridge Tunnel Would Benefit Outdoor Enthusiasts | Charlottesville Daily Progress." Charlottesville News, Sports, Business, Events and Jobs | Charlottesville Daily Progress. 9 Apr. 2010. Web. 12 Apr. 2010. <http://www2.dailyprogress.com/cdp/news/local/waynesboro/article/if_grant_comes_through_crozet_tunnel_would_benefit_outdoor_enthusiasts/54682/>.
  3. Web. 2010 Final Enhancement Program Allocations (FY11), Jeffrey Caldwell, Virginia Department of Transportation, June 17, 2010, retrieved November 7, 2011.
  4. Web. Clann Mhór Seeks Memorial to Blue Ridge Tunnel Builders, Mike Marshall, Crozet Gazette, Crozet Gazette, May 6, 2011