Beaucatcher Tunnel

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Beaucatcher Tunnel
Overview
LocationAsheville, North Carolina
Coordinates35°35′54.3″N 82°32′18.5″W / 35.598417°N 82.538472°W / 35.598417; -82.538472Coordinates: 35°35′54.3″N 82°32′18.5″W / 35.598417°N 82.538472°W / 35.598417; -82.538472
Route US 70 / US 74A
Operation
Opened1929
Technical
Length750 feet (230 m)
No. of lanes2

Beaucatcher Tunnel carries U.S. Route 70 (US 70) and US 74A through Beaucatcher Mountain in Asheville, North Carolina. Work on the 750-foot (230 m) tunnel was started in 1927 and completed in 1929. The tunnel has two lanes and sidewalks separated from the traffic lanes by concrete barriers. It was renovated in 2014 with new stone portals.[1][2][3]

For the construction of Interstate 240 on a parallel alignment two new tunnels were considered for the interstate route. In 1967 the North Carolina State Highway Commission endorsed an open cut through the mountain, which was projected to save $11.4 million over tunnel construction.[4] The four-mile project was completed October 31, 1980.[5]

References[]

  1. ^ "Beaucatcher Tunnel". ASCE North Carolina Section. American Society of Civil Engineers. March 10, 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  2. ^ "Beaucatcher Tunnel". Bridgehunter.com. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  3. ^ "Beaucatcher Tunnel". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
  4. ^ Draft Environmental Impact Statement for US 70-74, Proposed Freeway Connector from I-40 East of Asheville to the East-West Expressway in Asheville, Buncombe County. North Carolina State Highway Commission. August 1971. pp. 20–27.
  5. ^ Neufeld, Rob (October 30, 2016). "Visiting Our Past: Marking Asheville's anniversaries". Asheville Citizen-Times. Retrieved October 30, 2016.
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