Western & Atlantic Railroad Tunnel

Built to connect the Port of Augusta to the Tennessee River Valley, the tunnel through
the Chetoogeta Mountain was to be part of the first railroad across the Appalachian Mountains, and open trade between the eastern coast region and the upper Midwest.

Construction began on the tunnel in 1848, during which the city of Tunnel Hill sprung up from people moving here to supply accommodations to the railway workers. The tunnel, which spans 1,477 feet, was dug through the base of the mountain.

On May 9, 1850, the first Western and Atlantic train passed through the mountain tunnel and the new town of Atlanta became one of the railway’ s major hubs.

The tunnel became part of several historical events during the Civil War, before heavy railroad traffic and larger train cars getting stuck in the tunnel led to the building of a larger parallel tunnel, ending the use of the tunnel in 1928.

The tunnel faced possible destruction from 70 years of neglect until, in 1992, steps were taken to preserve it. After a lengthy period of restoration and rehabilitation, the tunnel was opened to the public in 2000, just in time for its 150^th anniversary.