Impassable Barrier
by Susan McMenamin
Title
Impassable Barrier
Artist
Susan McMenamin
Medium
Photograph
Description
Impassable Barrier - Zion National Park. In the 1920's this end of the canyon appeared to be a dead end, and impassable barrier to transportation. To highway engineers the toughest challenge was the cliff above. Their solution: a one-mile tunnel behind the cliff face. When the tunnel and highway were completed in 1930, they opened the region to motor tourism, linking Zion to Bryce and the Grand Canyon's North Rim. Now the tunnel itself has become a kind of barrier, as today's RVs and tour buses are too large for two-way traffic within the tunnel. The work on the tunnel began with drilling small shafts into the north-facing cliff. Those shafts late became the tunnel's windows or galleries, like the one that is visible here. The four galleries are not only a source of light and air but were places to expel rubble as workmen tunneled toward both ends.
Uploaded
November 26th, 2016
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