If you have ever driven through the mountains along I-70, you are almost guaranteed to have passed through the record-breaking Eisenhower Tunnel… but have you ever wondered what the area looked like before its construction? Or what it took to construct such an incredible piece of architecture? Wonder no more, as we have uncovered these nine rare photos taken during the construction of the Eisenhower Tunnel (courtesy of our friends at History Colorado):

When traffic through Colorado's mountains began to increase, the idea to route a transcontinental highway was born, which - in the 1950s - was nixed for a new tunnel system built along the existing U.S. Route 6 corridor.
History Colorado/G3701 .P2 1915-1929 .C53
Pictured is an old map of the transcontinental highways and main trunk line railroads west of Chicago.
A few years after this, the idea for the Eisenhower–Edwin C. Johnson Memorial Tunnel was born, and construction began in 1968.
History Colorado/2000.129.1062
Due to both construction setbacks and budget issues, the tunnel's construction took more than five years. It officially opened in 1973.
History Colorado/2000.129.1063
Built as a way to transport I-70 under the Continental Divide, the Eisenhower Tunnel was estimated to cost $42 million, but ended up setting taxpayers back $108 million by the end of the project.
History Colorado/2000.129.1064

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In addition to being long, wide, and tall, Eisenhower is also the highest elevation tunnel in the world, sitting between 11,013 and 11,158 feet above sea level.
History Colorado/2000.129.1070
For reference, the photo below was snapped in 1970, nearly halfway through the project!
History Colorado/2000.129.1074
By taking the Eisenhower Tunnel and not Loveland Pass, drivers can save an estimated 9.1 miles.
Wikimedia Commons/Seattleretro
What better way to end than with a crazy statistic: an estimated 28,000 cars take the Eisenhower Tunnel each DAY!
History Colorado/2006.90.26

Discover even more drive-able tunnels by clicking 6 Awesome Tunnels In Colorado You Need To Drive Through At Least Once.

 

 

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