Colonial Parkway

The Colonial Parkway is a twenty-three mile scenic roadway stretching from the York River at Yorktown to the James River at Jamestown. It connects Virginia's historic triangle: Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. Several million travelers a year use this route to enjoy the natural and cultural beauty of Virginia. The Parkway's construction presented the National Park Service with a unique challenge: build a thoroughfare unifying culturally distinct sites crossing several pristine natural environments while still maintaining the National Park Service's prime directive "to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same." Adding to the complexity of the project was a construction period extending over twenty-six years through the Depression, World War II, and funding shortages. COLONIAL PARKWAY TUNNEL Clearance/height of tunnel at curb line, Jamestown-bound: 10' 4" Clearance/height of tunnel at curb line, Yorktown-bound: 10' 6" Clearance at the two rows of overhead tunnel lights: 14' 8" Fun Fact: Tunnel was built in 1942 and is 1,190 feet long.