The Crozet Blue Ridge Tunnel, 4,273 feet long, was the longest railroad tunnel in North America when it was constructed in 1849-1858. Irish and enslaved craftsmen and laborers excavated it using hand drills and black powder. Chief Engineer Claudius Crozet designed a singular elliptical cross-section to minimize rock removal. Its slope from west to east created challenges for drainage and ventilation, and Crozet developed unique solutions to those problems during construction. In April 1858, the first train traveled through the Blue Ridge Tunnel, which remained in use for more than 85 years before the demands of larger locomotives and World War II freight traffic required its replacement in 1944.

Photo: Devry Becker Jones

Photo: Devry Becker Jones

Afton, Virginia · USA