At the time of its completion the Eisenhower–Johnson Memorial Tunnel, about 60 miles west of Denver, Colorado, was the world’s highest tunnel with a maximum elevation of 11,158 ft (3,401 m). Construction of the 1.693 mile (2.72 km) tunnel, a part of Interstate 70, broke ground on this day in 1968, starting with the westbound bore named after President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Above: Eastern portal, named for Edwin C. Johnson - By Patrick Pelster - CC BY-SA 3.0Top: West portal, named for Dwight D. Eisenhower, in 1978 - By Seattleretro - CC BY-SA 3.0
The eastbound bore, named for Edwin C. Johnson, a Colorado governor and U.S. Senator who lobbied for an Interstate Highway to be built through Colorado, was initiated in August of 1975, about a year and a half after the first bore was o...