Most People Have No Idea This Unique Tunnel In West Virginia Exists

There's a tunnel through Paint Creek Mountain in Kanawha county that was once part of the West Virginia turnpike, but now only a small selection of people ever see it.

The Memorial Tunnel served as part of the West Virginia Turnpike from 1954-1987.

As traffic through the area increased, the tunnel created a bottleneck and caused traffic delays.

The government built a bypass, and the tunnel was closed to the public.

It now serves as the Center for National Response, a training area for military and emergency responders.

The practice areas in the tunnel include a rubble area that simulates collapsed buildings, a bombed subway station, a 50-car pileup wreck with hazardous materials, mock meth labs, and several other dangerous situtions.

First responders learn how to safely handle hazardous materials, and rescue people from the rubble.

160,000 first responders from all around the country have trained in the tunnel.

Did you know this place existed in West Virginia?

If you'd like to see more interesting tunnels in our state, you can try taking this haunted roadtrip.