Tunnel Vision

The Allegheny Mountain Tunnel in Somerset County offers one of the best tunnel views in the U.S. Nestled in the magnificent Appalachian Mountains, drivers are treated to a cinematic reveal of forested hills and wide valleys. Serving 50,000 vehicles yearly with a 4.5-star rating, it’s both a practical route and a scenic highlight.

The Gilman Tunnel in Sandoval County offers a striking passage through rugged desert rock, opening to expansive high desert vistas and distant mountains. Thousands of vehicles pass yearly, and travelers praise its cinematic transition from shadowed tunnel to sunlit landscape, making it a memorable stop for road-trippers exploring New Mexico’s dramatic terrain.

The Cody Mountain Tunnel in Park County offers a scenic passage through the rugged mountains of Wyoming. Serving 40,000 vehicles yearly and rated 4.8 stars, the tunnel shows drivers sweeping mountain vistas as they emerge. Built in 1975, it’s both a practical route and a memorable stop for travelers exploring the dramatic landscapes of Park County.

The Eisenhower Johnson Memorial Tunnel in Clear Creek County is the highest point on the entire U.S. Interstate Highway System, reaching 11,158 feet. As you drive through its shadowed passage, lined with thousands of hanging porcelain tiles and earning it the nickname the “country’s longest bathroom,” you suddenly emerge into sunlit alpine peaks and sweeping valleys. Serving thousands yearly, it’s a practical route and a breathtaking, must-experience highlight of Colorado’s high-country roads.

The Cheat Mountain Tunnel near Durbin is a slice of Appalachian railroad history tucked into the rugged terrain of Cheat Mountain. Built in the early 1900s as part of the Coal & Iron Railway connecting Durbin and Elkins, the tunnel once helped steel-wheeled trains punch through the steep ridges of the Allegheny Mountains, linking isolated mountain towns with the wider rail network. Today, the tunnel stands abandoned but remains a fascinating relic for hikers and history lovers exploring the West Fork Rail Trail and the surrounding Monongahela National Forest.

The Shenandoah Tunnel in Rappahannock County offers a scenic drive through the Blue Ridge Mountains. Serving 18,000 vehicles yearly and rated 4.7 stars, the tunnel is a brief, shadowed passage before opening to sweeping mountain vistas. Built in 1965 and spanning 1.60km, it’s a practical route and a memorable stop for travelers exploring Virginia’s mountainous landscapes.

The Big Walker Mountain Tunnel in Bland is a drive you will always remember. As you go through its 1.6km stretch, built in 1972, the brief darkness suddenly opens up to breathtaking views of the Blue Ridge Mountains that make you want to stop and take it all in. Serving 20,000 vehicles yearly with a 4.7 star rating, it is more than a tunnel – it is a moment of awe on Virginia’s scenic roads.

The East River Mountain Tunnel in Mercer County is a unique drive you won’t soon forget. Stretching just over a mile long, it carries I-77 and U.S. 52 through East River Mountain and was opened in 1974 after more than five years of hard work. Before the tunnel existed, travelers had to brave a narrow, foggy mountain road that was often closed in winter, so its completion changed travel forever.

The Queen Creek Tunnel near Superior is more than just a passage through rock; it’s a piece of road trip lore. Since opening in 1968, travelers have made it a point to see the carved tunnel that runs through the Superstition Mountains, which replaced an older, winding route and made travel between Phoenix and eastern Arizona far smoother. Locals still joke that going through the tunnel feels like stepping into another world as the desert light suddenly bursts around you. Fun fact: in 2016 it became the first tunnel in Arizona to get an adaptive LED lighting system that brightens and dims with the daylight, a modern twist on a mid-century marvel.

The Cumberland Gap Tunnel in Cumberland Gap carries U.S. 25E through the Appalachian Mountains and opened in 1996, replacing the dangerous winding mountain road above. Stretching 4,600 feet, it crosses the Tennessee-Kentucky state line and is one of the few tunnels in the U.S. to do so. Not only that, but the tunnel helped preserve the historic Cumberland Gap National Historical Park while keeping traffic flowing safely.

The Whittier Tunnel in Whittier is a unique drive through the Chugach Mountains. It opened in 2000 and stretches over approximately 1.2km of land; it carries over 50,000 vehicles yearly along a single-lane, timed traffic system. The tunnel also doubles as the town’s main utility corridor, carrying water, sewer, and power lines, providing both a scenic passage and an essential lifeline for Whittier.

The Lincoln Tunnel in New York connects Manhattan to Weehawken, New Jersey, carrying commuter vehicles daily under the Hudson River. As you drive through its three tubes, the rush of city lights and river views makes the tunnel feel iconic. Since it opened in 1937, it has proven to be a vital commuter route and a cinematic experience, appearing in countless films.

The Holland Tunnel in New York connects Lower Manhattan to Jersey City, New Jersey, carrying thousands of commuters under the Hudson River. Opened in 1927, it was the first mechanically ventilated tunnel in the world. Driving through its shadowed tubes, the sudden emergence into city streets feels exhilarating. Serving daily commuters, it’s both a practical route and a historic marvel of engineering.

The Webster Tube in Oakland connects Oakland to Alameda under the Oakland Estuary. Opened in 1928, it is known for its curved design that gently guides drivers beneath the water. Fun fact: its twin tubes were originally designed to handle streetcars as well as cars, a rare piece of mid-century transit engineering that quietly shaped Bay Area commuting.

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel in Virginia Beach carries U.S. 13 across the Chesapeake Bay, including the Thimble Shoal Tunnels beneath the water. Opened in 1964, the bridge-tunnel spans under the bay and serves 45,000 vehicles yearly. It is renowned as an “Engineering Wonder of the Modern World” for its unique combination of bridges and tunnels designed to allow shipping traffic to pass freely while vehicles travel above and below the water. Driving it gives a surreal feeling of sailing over the bay one moment and diving beneath it the next, providing an unforgettable journey.

The Transbay Tube in San Francisco carries BART trains beneath the San Francisco Bay, linking Oakland and San Francisco. Opened in 1968, the underwater tunnel helps hundreds of thousands of riders yearly. It is designed to withstand significant seismic activity through specialized flexible joints and remains a vital, though capacity-constrained, bottleneck for the Bay Area’s transit infrastructure. Fun fact: during construction, workers had to navigate soft bay mud and high water pressure, making it one of the Bay Area’s most challenging engineering projects.

The Washburn Tunnel in Houston carries vehicles beneath the Houston Ship Channel, connecting the city’s east and west sides. Opened in 1950 and spanning 2 km, it serves 45,000 vehicles yearly. Additionally, it was Houston’s first submerged vehicular tunnel and the earliest in the U.S., a pioneering feat of engineering that transformed local travel across the busy shipping channel.

The Midtown Tunnel in Norfolk carries U.S. 58 beneath the Elizabeth River, connecting Norfolk and Portsmouth. Opened in 1962, the tunnel spans 3.5 km. It was originally tolled to help fund construction, and its strategic location makes it a key commuter route while offering glimpses of the river above, blending practical transit with a unique urban waterway experience.

The Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel in New York carries I-478 beneath the East River, connecting Brooklyn to Lower Manhattan. It opened in 1950 and to this day is the longest continuous underwater vehicular tunnel in North America. The tunnel features twin two-lane tubes, supports commuters daily, and is operated by MTA Bridges and Tunnels. Fun fact: its iconic portals have appeared in countless films, making it both a vital commuter route and a cinematic New York landmark.

The Sumner Tunnel in Boston opened on June 30, 1934 and is a historic roadway connecting East Boston to downtown beneath Boston Harbor. As Massachusetts’ first traffic tunnel, it originally carried two-way traffic until the Callahan Tunnel opened in 1961. Today it is a primary one-way route for vehicles, remaining a vital commuter link. Fun fact: it was originally tolled to fund construction, and driving through offers a rare view of Boston’s waterfront from below the harbor.