What happens when we outgrow our historic mountain tunnels? It isn’t always feasible to widen the road because there would be a danger of the tunnel collapsing. One of the longest tunnels in West Virginia has truly become more than an interstate passage through a mountain. It has grown to become something far more significant and important to public safety.

The Memorial Tunnel is a 2,802-foot roadway that passes through Paint Creek Mountain in the unincorporated community of Standard, located in Kanawha County.
Pub. by The A. W. Smith News Agency, Charleston, W. Va. "Tichnor Quality Views," Reg. U. S. Pat. Off. Made Only by Tichnor Bros., Inc., Boston, Mass., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Construction of the tunnel began in 1952, and it opened in 1954. The construction cost $5 million, a hefty sum at the time. It was the first tunnel in the U.S. to have a monitoring system via closed-circuit television.
Wikimedia/Boston Public Library Tichnor Brothers collection #88725
The tunnel remained in use until 1987 when it was finally closed down because traffic through the tunnel created a bottleneck. This was because the 4-lane turnpike became two lanes in the tunnel.
Homestead Air Reserve Base
A bypass was built to replace the tunnel, allowing for swifter traffic flow through the area.
But the life of the tunnel did not end there. From 1992 to 1995, it was used for experiments to better improve the ventilation of operational tunnels in the case of fire or other events that would cause smoke to become trapped.
Air Force District of Washington/Staff Sgt. Christopher Ruano
It was in 2000 that the tunnel became known as the Center for National Response, a government training facility that prepares first responders for nationwide crisis situations.

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The facility simulates real-world situations for first responders in the event of a major catastrophe on U.S. soil, including training for hazardous environments, disposal of explosive ordnance, underground search and rescue operations, and counterterrorism tactics.
WikiMedia/Cpl. Chris Stone
One particular training operation, a three-day exercise for the 779th Aerospace Medical Squadron and 11th Civil Engineer Squadron called Black Flag, simulated several disaster scenarios.
U.S. Air Force/Senior Airman Joshua R. M. Dewberry
For the operation, actual sets were constructed for members of the squadron in order to make the settings as realistic as possible.
In an article written by Senior Airman Joshua R. M. Dewberry for the U.S. Air Force website, the settings include:
Air Force District of Washington/Staff Sgt. Christopher Ruano
"Decrepit office trailers, concrete rubble blocking at the end of the tunnel a half-mile into the mountainside, two-story buildings, caves, train stations, crushed cars with mannequins as victims, and chemical, biological and drug laboratory scenes with munitions stockpiles."
Through this form of realistic training, first responders will be well-prepared for crisis situations should a major disaster strike.
U.S. Air Force/Senior Airman Joshua R. M. Dewberry
While the construction of the Memorial Tunnel in West Virginia began with the modest aspiration of simply improving traffic conditions in the region, it has now become a tool to save the lives of many people involved in a disaster situation, turning their terror into hope, and chaos into order.

Were you aware of the story behind the Memorial Tunnel in West Virginia? Do you remember the tunnel when it was still a public roadway? Feel free to comment and join the discussion.

The Memorial Tunnel is not the only one to become abandoned and repurposed. Check out this amazing hiking trail that takes you through abandoned train tunnels.

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More to Explore

Longest Tunnels in West Virginia

Chris Muras | December 31, 2022

What happened to Memorial Tunnel in West Virginia?

The historic 1950s Memorial Tunnel in West Virginia had been used as a training tool for the Center for National Response since 2000. On February 2022 the tunnel was purchased by Hernshaw Farms to be used as a mushroom farm that now supplies local West Virginia restaurants with fresh "historic" mushrooms.

What is the longest tunnel in West Virginia?

The East River Mountain Tunnel in Bluefield, WV is the longest tunnel in West Virginia currently in use at 5,412 feet long. The tunnel project began in 1969 and was completed in 1972 at a cost of $40,000,000. It was the highest-cost roadway project in West Virginia to date. The longest tunnels in West Virginia both in use and abandoned are:

  1. Great Bend Tunnel: 6,560 feet
  2. East River Mountain Tunnel: 5,412 feet
  3. Dingess Tunnel: 3,331 feet
  4. Memorial Tunnel: 2,802 feet

 

Just across the Virginia and West Virginia border is the Big Walker Mountain Tunnel, which is also a pretty impressive tunnel at 4,200 feet. It was opened in 1972 at a cost of $50,000,000.

How many tunnels are there in West Virginia?

There are 13 tunnels along the North Bend Rail Trail alone. While there may not be an accurate count of how many total tunnels there are in West Virginia, many of the old abandoned tunnels are filled with history. Here is a list of some old tunnels in West Virginia that have plenty of stories to tell:

1. Silver Run Tunnel
2. Eaton Tunnel
3. Board Tree Tunnel
4. "Bloody Mingo" Dingess Tunnel
5. Flinderation Tunnel
6. Hempfield Tunnel
7. Seneca Creek Trail Tunnel
8. Meredith Tunnel

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Memorial Tunnel, Kanawha County, WV, USA