 The eastern entrance on Blakeley Island | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Official name | John H. Bankhead Tunnel |
| Location | Mobile River, Mobile, Alabama |
| Coordinates | 30°41′30″N 88°02′09″W / 30.69167°N 88.03583°W |
| Route |  US 98 |
| Operation | |
| Opened | February 20, 1941[1] (built 1938-1942) |
| Traffic | 28,140 (2015) |
| Character | submerged road tunnel |
| Toll | 1941 to mid-1970s[1] |
| Technical | |
| Length | 3,389 feet (1,033 m) |
| No. of lanes | 2 |
| Tunnel clearance | 12 feet (4 m) |
| Width | 21 feet (6 m) |
| Route map | |
 | |
| Designated | January 25, 1977 |
The Bankhead Tunnel, formally the John H. Bankhead Tunnel, is a road tunnel in Mobile, Alabama that carries Government Street under the Mobile River from Blakeley Island to the downtown Mobile business district.[1] [2] It is named for John H. 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.[2] 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.[3]
- ^ a b c "Mobile City Guide" (map, landmarks), AARoads, February 2011, webpage: SER-Bankhead.
- ^ a b "Frequently Asked Questions - Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce" (notes), Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, 2006, webpage: MCCOM-FAQ Archived 2007-07-17 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ "Properties on the Alabama Register of Landmarks & Heritage". Alabama Historical Commission. www.preserveala.org. Archived from the original on 4 September 2012. Retrieved 25 October 2012.