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Rocheport Tunnel

Tunnel under Moniteau Bluff
Rocheport, Howard County, Missouri

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name Rocheport Tunnel
Built By Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railway
Contractor Unknown
Currently Owned By Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Length 243 Feet Total
Width 1 Track
Height Of Tunnel 30 Feet (Estimated)
Type Bored and Lined Tunnel
Date Built 1893
Traffic Count 0 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status Rails to Trails
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date June 2016


This tunnel is one of the key parts of the Katy Trail. It crosses under the Moniteau Bluffs, next to the Rocheport Trail Bridge.

The tunnel is one of a number tunnels in central Missouri. As the Ozark Mountains begin to rise up, it required tunnels to construct railroads.
This structure doesn't cross under the Ozarks, but is very close to them. Just south of the Missouri River, the Ozarks dominate the landscape.

The interior of the tunnel is line with a combination of brick, stone and the natural rock bluff. The east portal is uncovered and is the natural rock, while the west portal is covered in stone.
The author has ranked the bridge as locally significant, because it is a rather short structure; despite it being a unique structure on the Katy Trail.

The photo above is looking east into the tunnel.

Citations

Source Type

Source

Build Date Construction of line
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele