Bankhead Tunnel
Encyclopedia
The Bankhead Tunnel is a tunnel
in Mobile, Alabama
that begins on Government Street
in downtown Mobile, travels eastbound under the Mobile River
, and emerges to join the Battleship Parkway
.
It is named for John Hollis Bankhead, an Alabama politician and U.S. Senator (served 1907-1920) who was also the grandfather of actress Tallulah Bankhead
. It, like the larger George Wallace Tunnel
(built 1969-1973) a few blocks downriver from it, was constructed in Mobile at the shipyards of the Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company
(ADDSCO), from 1938-1940. The eastern end of the Bankhead Tunnel features a large "flood door" that can be closed to prevent water from Mobile Bay
flooding the tunnel during surges from hurricanes or tropical storms. It was added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage
on January 25, 1977.
The tunnel was designed and construction directed by Wayne Palmer, himself of Mobile Alabama. Only passenger cars and pickup trucks are still allowed to travel through the tunnel, as it is very narrow. Large trucks and hazardous cargo are routed (on U.S. 90/Truck U.S. 98) over the Cochrane–Africatown USA Bridge miles to the north or the George Wallace Tunnel on Interstate 10 a few blocks to the south. The tunnel was a location for a scene in director Steven Spielberg
's film Close Encounters of the Third Kind
, largely filmed around the Mobile area: Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss
) drives through the tunnel as he chases UFOs. It is also featured in a motorcycle chase scene in a 1991 Brian Bosworth
movie, Stone Cold
.
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
in Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
that begins on Government Street
Government Street (Mobile, Alabama)
Government Street is the name given to U.S. Route 90 and portions of U.S. Route 98 within the city limits of Mobile, Alabama. It is known as Government Street east of Pinehill Drive and as Government Boulevard west of Pinehill Drive...
in downtown Mobile, travels eastbound under the Mobile River
Mobile River
The Mobile River is located in southern Alabama in the United States. Formed out of the confluence of the Tombigbee and Alabama rivers, the approximately river drains an area of of Alabama, with a watershed extending into Mississippi, Georgia, and Tennessee. Its drainage basin is the...
, and emerges to join the Battleship Parkway
Battleship Parkway
Battleship Parkway, commonly referred to locally and in the media as the "Causeway", is an elevated long causeway that carries US 90 and US 98 eastbound across Mobile Bay from the Bankhead Tunnel in Mobile, Alabama to Spanish Fort, Alabama. The roadway itself is a four-lane divided highway for...
.
It is named for John Hollis Bankhead, an Alabama politician and U.S. Senator (served 1907-1920) who was also the grandfather of actress Tallulah Bankhead
Tallulah Bankhead
Tallulah Brockman Bankhead was an award-winning American actress of the stage and screen, talk-show host, and bonne vivante...
. It, like the larger George Wallace Tunnel
George Wallace Tunnel
The George Wallace Tunnel is a tunnel along Interstate 10 in Mobile, Alabama that crosses beneath the Mobile River.It, like the smaller Bankhead Tunnel a few blocks upriver from it, was constructed in Mobile at the shipyards of the Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company from 1969-1973...
(built 1969-1973) a few blocks downriver from it, was constructed in Mobile at the shipyards of the Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company
Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company
The Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company located in Mobile, Alabama, was one of the largest marine production facilities in the United States of America during the 20th century. Beginning operation in 1917, the shipyard is presently owned by The Lehman Group The Alabama Drydock and...
(ADDSCO), from 1938-1940. The eastern end of the Bankhead Tunnel features a large "flood door" that can be closed to prevent water from Mobile Bay
Mobile Bay
Mobile Bay is an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, lying within the state of Alabama in the United States. Its mouth is formed by the Fort Morgan Peninsula on the eastern side and Dauphin Island, a barrier island on the western side. The Mobile River and Tensaw River empty into the northern end of the...
flooding the tunnel during surges from hurricanes or tropical storms. It was added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage
Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage
The Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage, commonly referred to as the Alabama Register, is an official listing of buildings, sites, structures, objects, and districts deemed worthy of preservation in the U.S. state of Alabama. These properties, which may be of national, state, and local...
on January 25, 1977.
History
The tunnel was built in sections and floated to the proper positions, then sunk. Each section was sunk next to the previous section and joined underwater. When all sections were connected, and concrete set into place, they were pumped dry and finished out. The depth of clearance is 40 ft (12.2 m) for the ship channel over the tunnel. It was completed in 1940 at a cost of $4 million and opened to the public on February 20, 1941. A toll fee was charged at the east side, from 1941 to the mid-1970s, when the toll plaza was dismantled. The tube carries two lanes of travel, and no pedestrian or non-motorized vehicular traffic is permitted.The tunnel was designed and construction directed by Wayne Palmer, himself of Mobile Alabama. Only passenger cars and pickup trucks are still allowed to travel through the tunnel, as it is very narrow. Large trucks and hazardous cargo are routed (on U.S. 90/Truck U.S. 98) over the Cochrane–Africatown USA Bridge miles to the north or the George Wallace Tunnel on Interstate 10 a few blocks to the south. The tunnel was a location for a scene in director Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
's film Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Close Encounters of the Third Kind is a 1977 science fiction film written and directed by Steven Spielberg. The film stars Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Melinda Dillon, Teri Garr, Bob Balaban, and Cary Guffey...
, largely filmed around the Mobile area: Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss
Richard Dreyfuss
Richard Stephen Dreyfuss is an American actor best known for starring in a number of film, television, and theater roles since the late 1960s, including the films American Graffiti, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Goodbye Girl, Whose Life Is It Anyway?, Stakeout, Always, What About...
) drives through the tunnel as he chases UFOs. It is also featured in a motorcycle chase scene in a 1991 Brian Bosworth
Brian Bosworth
Brian Keith "The Boz" Bosworth, is a former American football linebacker. He played college football for the University of Oklahoma...
movie, Stone Cold
Stone Cold (1991 film)
Stone Cold is a 1991 action movie based around a biker gang out to assassinate the governor and free one of their members who is on trial for murder. The movie marked the acting debut of 80's football star Brian Bosworth.-Plot:...
.
External links
- Picture on postcard: Bankhead Tunnel postcard.
