Heartland Corridor Project

Heartland Corridor Project. Kimball. , The West Vivian Tunnel (approximately 820 feet west of this sign) was constructed about 1907 by the Norfolk and Western Railway (N&W, now Norfolk Southern Corporation), and is named for a small unincorporated community about one mile east of Kimball. The tunnel was excavated through medium to thick-bedded sandstone of the Pocahontas Formation and lined with about 30 inches of concrete. The tunnel was modified during the Heartland Corridor project to allow passage of double-stacked shipping containers. Most of the tunnel liner was notched (for an average of 20 inches on either side of the tunnel crown), and parts of the liner near the west portal were replaced. Minor modifications were also made to horizontal clearance in parts of the tunnel, and drainage throughout the tunnel was improved., The Heartland Corridor rail clearance project involved a series of engineering efforts undertaken to allow trains to transport double-stacked containers of cargo through tunnels and across bridges along the Norfolk Southern rail line between the Port of Virginia and Columbus, Ohio and other destinations in the Midwest. Improvements were made to tunnels and bridges along the route, and terminals in Portsmouth and Columbus were upgraded to process the increased amounts of goods transported. The project was funded by the federal government; state agencies in Virginia, West Virginia, and Ohio; and Norfolk Southern Corporation., Vertical clearance was increased in 28 tunnels (see map to right), and 24 other overhead obstructions were cleared. Of the 28 tunnels modified, 15 needed to have the roof excavated and the liner replaced. Seven tunnels were notched to allow passage of the containers, and tracks were lowered or realigned at six tunnels. Many of the tunnels also required drainage improvements. In total, 5.7 miles of tunnel were modified., Construction for the Heartland Corridor project began in October 2007 and was completed in September 2010. As part of this work, Norfolk Southern Corporation sponsored documentation of 116 bridges and tunnels along the old N&W line between Belspring, Virginia, and Bull, West Virginia. Norfolk Southern Corporation and the federal and state agencies involved are proud of their cooperation and achievement. The project has been called the most ambitious railroad engineering project of the past century, and represents the continued importance of rail transportation to the nation’s economy. . This historical marker was erected by National Coal Highway Authority, the U.S. Department of Transporatation Federal Highway Administration, and Norfolk Southern. It is in Kimball in McDowell County West Virginia