Washburn Tunnel

I actually ended up travelling through this tunnel by mistake trying to find an alternate route from work to Jacinto City. I’ve never lived in the area nor have family on this side of Houston, so it was a welcomed surprise to go through this historical landmark today. Travelling through it is pretty spectacular and makes you feel for about three minutes you are not in Houston. If you don’t like closed spaces, then it’s maybe not for you. A little curvy and hilly, kind of feels like you’re on a rollercoaster. The historical significance of this tunnel makes it a pretty special attraction travelling our great city and state. If you’re in the ship channel area, it’s worth a small detour to experience.
BTW next time I’m going to shoot some footage driving through the tunnel soon just for kicks!

The Washburn Tunnel is a two lane roadway underneath the Houston Ship Channel. According to the historical information, it was built in 1950 as a $ 7 million project. Named after a Harris County (Houston’s county) auditor Harry Washburn, it is the largest as well as the first toll-​free automobile tunnel in the southern United States. The Washburn Tunnel is listed in The National Register of Historic Places.
The drive through the tunnel is short but cool. To think that you are, at an estimate, 60 ft. underwater when travelling through it is what makes it cool.
The design of the tunnel includes pumps that prohibit water accumulation by draining the water back into the ship channel. According to some facts I read, the tunnel has only flooded once and that was in 2008 when Hurricane Ike hit the Houston area.
If you are traveling in the area, take a little trip through the Washburn Tunnel. It is open for 24 hours and makes for a nice travel diversion.