Johnson Tunnel

The Eisenhower Tunnel is a vehicular tunnel located at 39°40′44″N 105°55′12″W / 39.679°N 105.92°W / 39.679; -105.92 on Interstate 70 approximately 60 miles (97 km) west of Denver, Colorado. The tunnel was built under the Continental Divide, and at a maximum elevation of 11,158 feet (3401 m) Above sea level, it is one of the highest vehicular tunnels in the world. It is also the longest tunnel built under the Interstate highway program and one of the last major pieces of the system to be completed. Its full official name is the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel (EJMT); the westbound bore is named after U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower (for whom the Interstate system is also named), the eastbound bore after Edwin C. Johnson, a former governor and U.S. Senator from Colorado.

The tunnel is a two-bore tunnel with each bore approximately 1.7 miles (2.7 km) long. Construction of the westbound bore was started on March 15, 1968, and finished five years later on March 8, 1973. The eastbound bore was started on August 18, 1975, and completed over four years later on December 21, 1979. From 1973-79 the westbound bore carried a single lane of traffic in each direction. The total construction cost of the project was $108 million. In 2002, over ten million vehicles passed through the tunnel, many of them driving between the Denver area and popular skiing locations west of the Continental Divide. The eastern end of the tunnel is under and surrounded by the Loveland ski area.

Trucks that cannot safely pass through the tunnel (over 13' 6" (4.1 m) in height and/or carrying hazardous materials), and bicycles and pedestrians (and those that wish to stop and view the scenery) must take the longer and steeper climb and descent of the older U.S. Highway 6 across Loveland Pass, 834 feet (254 m) higher at 11,992 feet (3655 m) above sea level. Other than the above exceptions, the tunnel has replaced the pass for general vehicular traffic. Beside being less formidable than the older route, the approach to the tunnel on both sides is steep (up to 7% in places), and runaway truck ramps are available for truckers who lose control. The tunnel's ascent/descent can also be dangerous in winter.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eisenhower_Tunnel

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Colorado
• I-70
• loveland
• summit
• highway
• tunnel
• eisenhower
• johnson

[ycp777]

Lurin'?

[Rubicon0555]

Wish I could use but all we haul is hazmat......

[MrDmajor74]

boring zzzzzzzzzzzzz

[johnny719]

Lurin' is so to a word.

[johnny719]

Lurin' is fun! But that tunnel freaks me out.

[greenxvii]

that tunnel is so long! thanks for all the facts, it helps put it in perspective