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In the layout room, nobody can hear you scream

Building the Rochport Tunnel

When I saw this on the MKT Facebook page, I knew I needed to add this to the blog!

This picture shows worker building the tunnel at Rochport. At Rochport, Missouri, a knob of granite extended out to the river, and it was too large to completely remove or daylight, so they blasted a tunnel through it. This is the only tunnel on the entire MKT track.

This photo is interesting to me for several reasons. The lack of trees is fascinating, because that entire area is completed wooded now.

Building Rochport Tunnel


Here is what the west side of the tunnel looks like today:

West Side of Tunnel