Entrance to Williams Way | |
Overview | |
---|---|
Location | Gibraltar |
Coordinates | 36°08′36″N 5°20′27″W / 36.14333°N 5.34083°W |
Status | Closed |
Start | Catalan Bay Road |
End | Sir Herbert Miles Road |
Operation | |
Work begun | 1942 |
Constructed | limestone |
Owner | Government of Gibraltar |
Williams Way is a tunnel through the eastern part of the Rock of Gibraltar.
It is one of two tunnels in Gibraltar named after Lt Col A R O Williams, of 178 Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers. Arthur Robert Owen Williams (1905-1989) was known as "ARO". He had trained as a miner in South Africa and was in charge of tunnelling operation in Gibraltar during World War II. When he left the army he was also given an OBE. [1] Williams also gave his name to Arow Street which is a tunnel entirely inside the rock. [2]
The tunnel's entrance starts at Catalan Bay Road and exits at Sir Herbert Miles Road. It was built in 1942 to bypass a landslide which had been triggered by a large detonation of explosives during quarrying operations. The landslide completely blocked off the road to Catalan Bay Village. This tunnel also provides access to MacFarlane's Gallery and during 1944/1945 was used to provide an entrance to a fuel storage area known as Project 'C'. [3]
On 1 October 2012 a fire occurred inside the tunnel in a disused control room which took two hours to extinguish. [4]
Entrance to Williams Way | |
Overview | |
---|---|
Location | Gibraltar |
Coordinates | 36°08′36″N 5°20′27″W / 36.14333°N 5.34083°W |
Status | Closed |
Start | Catalan Bay Road |
End | Sir Herbert Miles Road |
Operation | |
Work begun | 1942 |
Constructed | limestone |
Owner | Government of Gibraltar |
Williams Way is a tunnel through the eastern part of the Rock of Gibraltar.
It is one of two tunnels in Gibraltar named after Lt Col A R O Williams, of 178 Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers. Arthur Robert Owen Williams (1905-1989) was known as "ARO". He had trained as a miner in South Africa and was in charge of tunnelling operation in Gibraltar during World War II. When he left the army he was also given an OBE. [1] Williams also gave his name to Arow Street which is a tunnel entirely inside the rock. [2]
The tunnel's entrance starts at Catalan Bay Road and exits at Sir Herbert Miles Road. It was built in 1942 to bypass a landslide which had been triggered by a large detonation of explosives during quarrying operations. The landslide completely blocked off the road to Catalan Bay Village. This tunnel also provides access to MacFarlane's Gallery and during 1944/1945 was used to provide an entrance to a fuel storage area known as Project 'C'. [3]
On 1 October 2012 a fire occurred inside the tunnel in a disused control room which took two hours to extinguish. [4]