Carlin Tunnel

Carlin Tunnel
View east along Interstate 80 approaching the Carlin Tunnel
Overview
LocationNear Carlin, Nevada
Coordinates40°43′18″N 116°00′51″W / 40.721665°N 116.01408°W / 40.721665; -116.01408
Route I-80
Operation
OpenedSeptember 25, 1975[1]
OperatorNevada Department of Transportation
TrafficAutomotive
CharacterInterstate Highway system (two bores)
Vehicles per day10000[2]
Technical
Length0.3 miles (0.48 km)[3]
No. of lanes4 lanes in 2 tubes
Highest elevation4,950 feet (1,510 m)[4]
Carlin Tunnel
Western portal of the northern rail line through the Carlin Tunnel
Overview
LineElko Subdivision
LocationNear Carlin, Nevada at Tonka rail siding
Operation
Opened1903 (original railroad bore)
OperatorUnion Pacific Railroad
TrafficRail
CharacterPassenger and freight rail (two bores)
Technical
Length1,887 ft (575 m) (SP bore)
2,342 ft (714 m) (WP bore)[5]
No. of tracksdouble track
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge

The Carlin Tunnel is a collective name for a set of four tunnel bores in the Humboldt River's Carlin Canyon, east of Carlin in Elko County, Nevada, United States. The two railroad bores were constructed for different purposes at different times, while the two highway bores were constructed concurrently, all with the goal of bypassing a sharp bend in the river. Currently, two of the bores carry Interstate 80, while the other two bores carry Union Pacific Railroad's Overland Route and Central Corridor. Bridges over the Humboldt River are adjacent to both portals of three tubes, including the two freeway bores and one of the railroad bores.

  1. ^ "I-80 Carlin Tunnels Improvement Project Substantially Complete". Nevada Department of Transportation. October 7, 2014. Archived from the original on December 7, 2014. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  2. ^ "2008 Annual Traffic Report". Nevada Department of Transportation. 2008. Archived from the original on September 26, 2010. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  3. ^ Google Maps - Carlin Tunnel (Map). Cartography by GeoEye. Google, Inc. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  4. ^ Nevada Road and Recreation Atlas (Map). Benchmark Maps. 2002. p. 43. § F8. ISBN 0-929591-81-X.
  5. ^ "Track Chart and Alignment Book" (PDF). Southern Pacific. 1993. Retrieved November 22, 2023.