George Wallace Tunnel
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| George Wallace Tunnel | |
|---|---|
 Interstate 10 eastbound in downtown entering the Wallace Tunnel. |
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| Official name | George Corley Wallace Tunnel |
| Carries | 4 lanes of I-10 |
| Crosses | Mobile River |
| Locale | Mobile, Alabama |
| Design | submerged tunnel |
| Clearance below | 40 ft (12.2 m) |
| Opening date | 1973 |
| Toll | none |
| Coordinates | |
The George Wallace Tunnel is a tunnel along Interstate 10 in Mobile, Alabama that crosses beneath the Mobile River.[1]
It, like the smaller Bankhead Tunnel a few blocks upriver from it, was constructed in Mobile at the shipyards of the Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company (ADDSCO) from 1969-1973.[1] The 2 tunnels (one for two lanes of travel eastbound, and one for two lanes of travel westbound on Interstate 10) were built in sections and floated to the proper positions, then sunk. Each section was sunk next to the previous section and joined underwater. When all sections were connected, and concrete set into place, they were pumped dry and finished out. The depth of clearance is 40 ft (12.2 m) for the ship channel over the tunnel.[1] This is the same clearance as the older Bankhead Tunnel.
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[edit] Entrances
The George C. Wallace Tunnel, like the Bankhead Tunnel, emerges on the west end under Royal Street, in downtown Mobile (see map below); however, whereas the Bankhead Tunnel emerges at street level joining into Government Street, the George C. Wallace Tunnel slopes upward to continue Interstate 10 as an elevated highway above the Mobile streets.
On the eastern end, over Blakeley Island, the George C. Wallace Tunnel again slopes upward becoming the elevated spans of I-10, which cross Mobile Bay eastward (see map), along the twin bridges of the curved I-10 Jubilee Parkway.
[edit] Nearby construction
In the area where the George C. Wallace Tunnel passes beneath downtown Mobile, the re-filled area was later topped with new buildings, extending from the Mobile River for several blocks, along Water Street and Commerce Street (see map).
Because the tunnel tubes emerge within downtown Mobile, the riverbank along the Mobile River appears as an unbroken, continuous waterfront (see map at right), with no other signs of the tunnels below.
[edit] See also
- Fort Conde - replica fort built above the tunnel during the same decade.
[edit] Notes
[edit] References
- "Frequently Asked Questions - Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce" (notes), Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, 2006, webpage: MCCOM-FAQ.
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