The Bachman Tubes were named after Dr. Jonathan W. Bachman, Confederate veteran and former pastor of First Presbyterian Church.
The urban area of Chattanooga in the mid-1800’s extended to East End Avenue, now known as Central Avenue. Supported by the advent of the trolley and the automobile, development pushed towards Missionary Ridge and beyond. The routes over Missionary Ridge, including the old Ringgold Road which one can still drive, were narrow and winding. There were farms and orchards east of the ridge, and wagons would frequently overturn as farmers brought their produce to market. The completion of the Missionary Ridge Tunnel in 1913 provided a welcome alternative to the steep grades. However, traffic became a nuisance for Brainerd and Ridgedale residents, and some organized a movement to have a second tunnel built to divert some traffic to Ringgold Road.
In December 1926, the Hamilton County Highway Commission announced the selection of a site for another underground passageway through the ridge. Financed through bonds totaling $600,000, the construction project called for double bore tubes 1,000 feet long, 20 feet wide, and 44 feet apart. On its western end, the tunnels would connect to Dodds Avenue and 23rd Street, which was seen as becoming a major thoroughfare into the city from the east. Seven property owners received a total of $30,000 to make way for the project. The east side of the tunnels was in the vicinity of a former workhouse.
Construction started in February 1927. A. M. Nelson was tunnel engineer, and the M.P. Smith Construction Company was contracted to do the project. Two teams of workers bored day and night into the eastern and western slopes. The blasting to remove the limestone shook the homes of area residents. A rail line was extended into the opening, and the rock was hauled away in carts. After the tubes were opened through the ridge, the alignment was checked and found to be within one-fourth of an inch of original estimates. A fountain was erected at the Chattanooga side of the tunnel, with its water supplied by a spring discovered during construction.
A dedication ceremony was held at the tunnels on June 2, 1929. In keeping with the Civil War history of Missionary Ridge, the service was conducted by the Daughters of the Confederacy. The tunnels were named for Dr. Jonathan W. Bachman, who was a Confederate veteran of the Civil War and former pastor of First Presbyterian Church. Mayor Ed Bass noted, “If Dr. Jonathan W. Bachman could have selected a memorial to himself, he would have chosen something useful.” The Central High band from traveled the short distance from the school on Dodds Avenue to perform at the event.
The Bachman Tubes were underutilized for several years. That may have been due to the Great Depression that started soon after the tunnels opened. The 1936 city directory reported four grocers, five service stations, one church, one school, and three restaurants on Ringgold Road. The Pennant Park Athletic Arena and Tourist Camp was an interesting East Ridge business name in the 1936 listing. Prompted by an improved economy and the new Bachman Tubes, Ringgold Road soon changed from a tar and gravel road to a wide highway carrying traffic from Atlanta into Chattanooga.
In 1950, the tunnels were lighted, and billboards were removed for better views of the city as travelers exited the tubes. In 2001, a roundabout was opened at the western entrance.
I wonder when the fountain had to be removed from the entrance, and was it due to increased traffic? If you know the answer, or have memories of the Bachman Tubes, please send me an e-mail at jolleyh@signaldata.net.