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Historic railway tunnel in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains now open to the public

Dawnetta Taylor - Blue Ridge Parkway (Copyright 2020 by WSLS 10 - All rights reserved.)

AFTON, Va. – Hikers and bicyclists can now explore a historic railroad tunnel in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains after nearly two decades of restoration efforts.

The News Virginian reports that the Claudius Crozet Blue Ridge Tunnel Trail system opened to the public Saturday.

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The nearly mile-long tunnel was constructed between 1849 and 1859. Considered an engineering marvel at the time, the Blue Ridge Tunnel was designed by renowned French engineer Claudius Crozet.

The trail has parking lots on both sides and visitors need to bring their own lights to see.