About a mile or so southwest of Upper Pine Ridge tunnel, lies Upper Bridal tunnel. It’s a curved tunnel, which mimics the curve of the Blue Ridge Parkway to the northwest of it. The tunnel is fairly easy to get to, if you know what you’re doing. This weathered southwest portal is at 35.855180, -82.035674. The tunnel is 927′ long. Around 1905 or so, nine workers were killed here when someone accidentally ignited 15 cases (100 pounds each) of dynamite (according to Ashton Chapman in the Charlotte Observer 8/23/53). Seven workers were killed on the same day, in another area, when a cut they were working on collapsed.
Blogging the Railroad Tunnels 