New pedstrian tunnel under Route 16 in Pinkham Notch

A new pedestrian tunnel has been built under Route 16 at the base of Mount Washington. The 180-foot tunnel is part of the rebuilding of the Mount Washington Auto Road Stage Office and Great Glen Trails Outdoor Center building. The tunnel will connect the new four-season facility to the cross-country ski, snow shoe and mountain bike trail system at the base of Mount Washington. Construction of the tunnel, which began last week, required crews to move more than 17,000 yards of material under Route 16 and required the temporary rerouting of traffic through the auto road parking lot. The tunnel was transported in 24 huge sections, each weighing 41,000 pounds. Complicating the project was the relocation of a section of eight-inch penstock from the Mount Washington Auto Road's hydroelectric facility, which has supplied a portion of electricity to the auto road dating back to the 1800's. The penstock needed to be buried below the tunnel requiring extensive digging at the site. When asked how this tunnel project differs from others, Kyler Drew, of L.A. Drew, Inc., the company in charge of the overall project, said, "the timeframe (was) short. We usually have more than five days to build a tunnel of this size. We (worked) into the night so we (could) get this finished on time."L.A. Drew installed a similar tunnel under Route 302 at Attitash Bear Peak ski area in Bartlett. "Things went very smoothly, Kevin Drew, of L.A. Drew, said. "There were some 15-16 hour days, but the weather was perfect and we were able to get it done. "According to Jesse Mosston, marketing director for Mount Washington Auto Road and Great Glen Trials, the digging unearthed some interesting artifacts. A variety of mostly broken antique dishes, bottles, and pots have turned up during construction. These pieces are thought to be from the structures that stood on the site many years ago, including three different Glen Houses. "The reconstruction of the Mount Washington Auto Road Stage Office building is the result of many months of planning following the March 2001 fire that destroyed the base lodge of the Auto Road's partner company, Great Glen Trails Outdoor Center," Mosston stated. "Both businesses will operate out of the newly designed 20,000-square-foot building that is scheduled for completion in fall of this year. The Mount Washington Auto Road and Great Glen Trails will maintain their normal hours of operation throughout the project.""It's going to be quite a building when it's done," Drew said. "Right now, we're getting ready to rip another roof off. The whole project is really coming together well we've been pleased."