Road tunnel through eastern Rock of Gibraltar, built during World War.
Williams Way is a closed road tunnel through the eastern side of the Rock of Gibraltar. Built in 1942, it bypassed a landslide caused by quarry blasting that blocked the road to Catalan Bay village. The tunnel runs between Catalan Bay Road and Sir Herbert Miles Road.
Williams Way is a tunnel through the eastern part of the Rock of Gibraltar. It is one of two tunnels in Gibraltar named after Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Robert Owen Williams of 178 Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers. Williams, trained as a miner in South Africa, was in charge of tunnelling operations in Gibraltar during World War II and later received the OBE. Another tunnel, Arow Street, is also named for him. Construction of Williams Way began in 1942. It was built to bypass a landslide triggered by a large explosion of explosives during quarrying operations, which completely blocked the road to Catalan Bay village. The tunnel’s entrance is on Catalan Bay Road and its exit is on Sir Herbert Miles Road. The structure is described as being constructed in limestone, and its current status is recorded as closed. Williams Way also provides access to MacFarlane’s Gallery. During 1944 and 1945, the tunnel served as an entrance to a fuel storage area known as Project “C”. On 1 October 2012, a fire occurred in a disused control room inside the tunnel, taking two hours to extinguish. Williams Way is owned by the Government of Gibraltar.
