 Entrance to the East River Mountain Tunnel, Virginia side | |
 Interactive map of East River Mountain Tunnel | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Location | Bland County, Virginia Mercer County, West Virginia |
| Coordinates | 37°16′30″N81°07′26″W / 37.27500°N 81.12389°W /37.27500; -81.12389 |
| Route |   I-77 /US 52 |
| Operation | |
| Opened | December 20, 1974; 50 years ago (1974-12-20) |
| Technical | |
| Length | 5,412 ft (1,649.58 m) |
| No. oflanes | 4 |
TheEast River Mountain Tunnel is a 5,412-foot (1,650 m) vehiculartunnel that carriesInterstate 77 (I-77) andU.S. Route 52 (US 52) through East River Mountain betweenBluefield, West Virginia, andRocky Gap, Virginia.
Construction began on August 12, 1969, and it opened on December 20, 1974. At a cost of $40 million (equivalent to $197 million in 2024[1]), it was the most expensive construction project undertaken by theWest Virginia Division of Highways at the time. The northern 51% of the tunnel is inWest Virginia and the southern 49% inVirginia; Virginia shared the cost of the project.[2]
Before the opening of the East River Mountain Tunnel, travelers wishing to cross the state line had to navigate the narrow, twisting, guardrail-less route ofUS 52 up and over the mountain (now designated asSR 598 andWV 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.
The tunnel is located about 20 miles (32 km) north of its shorter cousin, theBig Walker Mountain Tunnel. The East River Mountain Tunnel is one of two land vehicular tunnels in the United States that cross a state line, the other being theCumberland Gap Tunnel.[2]
The top of East River Mountain can be seen in the distance fromBig Walker Lookout, a 100-foot (30 m) observation tower built onBig Walker Mountain.
| International | |
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| Geographic | |
