Discover The Longest Tunnel in Alabama

Alabama has several roadways to handle the abundant traffic that flows through the state. Almost 400 miles worth of U.S. Route 31 bisects the state. However, not all roadways are on the surface. Some of them are in tunnels. Learn about the longest tunnel in Alabama, find out where it’s located, and when it was constructed!

What is the Longest Tunnel in Alabama?

The longest tunnel in Alabama is the Bankhead Tunnel, a 3,389-foot-long road tunnel that travels below the Mobile River in Mobile, Alabama. The Bankhead Tunnel was originally known as the John H. Bankhead Tunnel, and it was named after a famous politician from the state. The tunnel begins in Mobile and runs through to Blakeley Island, an island that is also within the city limits of Mobile.

The Bankhead Tunnel is a submerged road tunnel that first opened in 1941 and serves the traffic needs of thousands of people each year. This roadway has a clearance of 12 feet in height and a width of about 21 feet. While it is the longest tunnel in Alabama, it is certainly not the widest or most comfortable for many drivers. Furthermore, the Bankhead Tunnel is only open for vehicle traffic for passenger cars and light trucks. It is too narrow and short for semi-trucks.

That does not stop people from trying to drive large vehicles through the tunnel, though. Once in a while, a trucker will follow their GPS without looking out for the signage at the tunnel’s entrance.

The signs explicitly state that trucks and hazardous materials are prohibited. While the signage stops most trucks, it does not stop all of them. Inevitably, the truckers will get stuck in the tunnel and require help getting out. Fortunately, there are ways for people with large trucks to travel through the area.

Where Are the Longest and Second-longest Tunnels in Alabama Located on a Map?

The port city of Mobile is located on Alabama’s Gulf Coast with the northern section of the city bordering the Mobile River and the southern section on Mobile Bay. Mobile is approximately 56 minutes from Pensacola, Florida, and two hours from New Orleans, Louisiana.

The Second-Longest Tunnel in Alabama is Nearby

The clearance and width of this two-lane tunnel cause many people to drive farther to the south the second-longest tunnel in Alabama to cross below the river, the George Wallace Tunnel.

The George Wallace Tunnel is a pair of tunnels that start at Interstate 10 and travel beneath the Mobile River before terminating at Blakeley Island. That tunnel is 3,000 feet long, has a clearance of 16 feet, and has a total of two lanes in each corridor. Those qualities make it far better for use by semi-trucks.

The George Wallace Tunnel was opened in 1973 and handles far more traffic than the longest tunnel in Alabama. People most likely feel more comfortable riding in this tunnel with one direction of traffic in each tunnel. Furthermore, the tunnel is much wider and taller, so semi-trucks have less trouble reaching the areas that they need.

Even if truckers do not feel comfortable using this tunnel or they have hazardous materials, they travel to the Cochrane–Africatown USA Bridge that runs north of the tunnels.

History of Alabama’s Longest Tunnel

Builders started creating the longest tunnel in Alabama in 1938. The original cost of the design was about $4 million, an amount that is worth over $60 million in today’s money. The goal of the tunnel was to decrease the amount of time that it took to get from Mobile to the eastern shores of Mobile Bay.

The tunnel was created out of two sections that measure 255 feet long and another five sections that measure 298 feet. The Alabama Dry Dock and Shipbuilding Company made the tunnel tubes and shipped them to the site of the future tunnel.  

The tunnel was completed and opened in early 1941, and the opening day was the only time that pedestrians and bicyclists were allowed to traverse the tunnel. No pedestrians are allowed in the tunnel these days.

The George Wallace Tunnel was constructed over 30 years later, and it was designed to handle traffic from vehicles with larger frames with ease, like semi-trucks. However, both of these tunnels are probably going to be redundant in the future.

A new cable-stayed bridge with a price tag of $2.7 billion is in the works. This bridge will span the Mobile River, and it will also update the infrastructure of Interstate 10. Currently, designers plan for the bridge to be six lanes wide in total. Furthermore, the bridge will have 215 feet of clearance so the Mobile River will remain navigable.

This ambitious plan was already delayed once, but the Alabama Department of Transportation has recently added the bridge construction back to its greater agenda.

Wildlife Near the Bankhead Tunnel

A variety of creatures are found near the longest tunnel in Alabama. After all, this tunnel runs through Mobile, a city on the Gulf Coast. Several types of small mammals live in the area, and they include:

• Squirrels
• Bats
• Rats
• Raccoons
• Gophers
• Porcupines

A variety of snakes live in Alabama, including a few venomous ones. Some of the snakes you might see around Mobile include:

• Gray rat snakes
• Red corn snakes
• Mississippi green water snakes
• Diamond-backed water snakes
• Cottonmouth snakes
• Timber rattlesnakes

It’s smart to learn to appreciate snakes from afar, especially if you do not know what venomous snakes in Alabama look like. Visitors to the Mobile area will also see alligators in the nearby waters, often resting on the banks of the Mobile Bay. Again, the best plan is to give these animals a wide berth to stay safe from harm.

The longest tunnel in Alabama is over half a mile in total length. However, the Bankhead Tunnel does not get as much use as the George Wallace Tunnel due to its clearance, width, and other factors. Future constructions may completely diminish the need for these tunnels entirely, especially if the planned bridge project comes to fruition.  

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Allard One/Shutterstock.com