Note: This is the 3rd time that Lee and Karen Duquette have been through this tunnel.

The Big Walker Mountain Tunnel is a vehicular tunnel in the Appalachian Mountains of Southwest Virginia that carries Interstate 77 through and under Big Walker Mountain. It is located a few miles south of the town of Bland in Bland County and a segment of the Appalachian Trail, and about 20 miles south of its longer cousin, the East River Mountain Tunnel. The 4,229-foot tunnel was first opened in 1972 after five years of construction labor. It carried a price tag of $50 million (equivalent to $276 million in 2023), which at the time was the most expensive single project undertaken on Virginia's Interstate system. The opening of the tunnel reduced the travel time from Wytheville to Bland County by 30 minutes.

Note: This is also the 3rd time that Lee and Karen Duquette have been through this tunnel.

20 miles north of the above Big Walker Mountain Tunnel, Lee Duquette drove through The East River Mountain Tunnel, a 5,412-foot vehicular tunnel that carries Interstate 77 (I-77) and U.S. Route 52 (US 52) through East River Mountain between Bluefield, West Virginia, and Rocky Gap, Virginia. Construction began on August 12, 1969, and it opened on December 20, 1974. At a cost of $40 million (equivalent to $192 million in 2023, it was the most expensive construction project undertaken by the West Virginia Division of Highways at the time. The northern 51% of the tunnel is in West Virginia and the southern 49% in Virginia; Virginia shared the cost of the project.

Before the opening of the East River Mountain Tunnel, travelers wishing to cross the state line had to navigate the narrow, twisting, guardrail-less route of US 52 up and over the mountain (now designated as SR 598 and WV 598). When fog or snow was present, the journey became arduous, and the road was occasionally closed completely (particularly in the winter months) due to treacherous conditions.

Below: As Lee Duquette drove past a big semi-truck, Karen Duquette quickly snapped a photo of the side of the truck when she realized what it said.