▁estimate ▁for ▁the ▁Eisen h ower ▁bore ▁was ▁$ 4 2 ▁million ; ▁the ▁actual ▁cost ▁was ▁$ 1 0 8 ▁million ▁( equ ivalent ▁to ▁$ ▁million ▁today ). ▁Appro xim ately ▁ 9 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁funds ▁were ▁paid ▁by ▁the ▁federal ▁government , ▁with ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Colorado ▁pay ing ▁the ▁rest . ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁this ▁figure ▁set ▁a ▁record ▁for ▁the ▁most ▁expensive ▁feder ally ▁a ided ▁project . ▁The ▁exc av ation ▁cost ▁for ▁the ▁Johnson ▁bore ▁was ▁$ 1 0 2 . 8 ▁million ▁( equ ivalent ▁to ▁$ ▁million ▁today ). ▁ ▁The ▁tunnel ▁construction ▁became ▁un int ention ally ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁women ' s ▁rights ▁movement ▁when ▁Jan et ▁Bonn ema ▁was ▁accepted ▁for ▁an ▁engineering ▁techn ician ▁position ▁in ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁Stra ight ▁Creek ▁T unnel ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 0 . ▁Bonn ema ▁was ▁restricted ▁from ▁entering ▁the ▁tunnel ▁itself , ▁however , ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁min ers ' ▁super st ition ▁that ▁women ▁who ▁entered ▁under ground ▁mines ▁and ▁t unn els ▁would ▁bring ▁bad ▁luck . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁Bonn ema ▁file d ▁a ▁$ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁class ▁action ▁suit ▁against ▁the ▁Colorado ▁Department ▁of ▁Transport ation , ▁cit ing ▁Title ▁VII ▁of ▁the ▁Civil ▁Rights ▁Act ▁of ▁ 1 9 6 4 . ▁As ▁Colorado ▁vot ers ▁had ▁passed ▁the ▁Equ al ▁Rights ▁Am end ment ▁that ▁year , ▁the ▁state ▁settled ▁Bonn ema '