Hobbies And Interests
The Hoosa Tunnel
The Hoosa Tunnel was originally planned as part of a canal system from Boston to Albany. The plan was originally rejected due to high costs, but commercial pressures from the mills in the northern part of the state compelled both public and private interests to find a way to get a railroad line through Hoosa Mountain. In 1851, ground was broken and the tunnel began. After a number of hiccups that included mechanical difficulties, credit problems and politcal pressures, the first train finally went through the Hoosa Tunnel on February 9, 1875. This gruelling process marked a number of milestones, such as the development and use of several tunnelling machines, black blasting powder and fuses used for blasting nitroglycerin.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike
During the 1930s President Roosevelt's government was searching for projects to help keep the depressed American economy afloat. When newly elected Pennsylvania State Representative Cliff S. Patterson proposed building a new highway through the Allegheny Mountains, the ambitious plan was well received. The Pennsylvania Turnpike became known as the "tunnel highway" because it rode through no fewer than seven tunnels between the cities of Carlisle and Irwin. When the turnpike opened for business in 1940 it consisted of several two-lane tunnels. The volume of traffic soon necessitated the expansion of the seven original tunnels. The Pennsylvania Turnpike is repaired and upgraded on a continuing basis.
The Big Walker and East River Mountain Tunnels
Before the construction of the Big Walker and East River Mountain tunnels, the only way to drive from West Virginia to Virginia was the long and windy Highway 52. Inclement weather would sometimes close the road entirely. Construction of the Big Walker Tunnel started in 1967 and took five years. The East River Tunnel was started in 1969 and set a record for the most expensive project in the history of the West Virginia Department of Highways, even thought the state of Virginia shared the expense. The tunnels are quite technologically advanced, equipped with automatic carbon monoxide sensors, backup power generators and fire extinguishers.
Tunnels in Switzerland
The more mountains you have, the more you're going to have to tunnel through them. The Swiss have been digging tunnels through mountains for more than 300 years to facilitate transportation within their own country and over the borders. The very first tunnel the Swiss built was the Urnerloch, to make passing by rail over the St. Gotthard Mountain easier. The Gotthard Railway tunnel was the longest of its kind for 100 years. The first road tunnel through the Swiss Alps wasn't built until 1964. This was the Great Saint Bernard Pass, which links Switzerland and Italy.