Vale Tunnel
The Vale Tunnel is a railway tunnel south of Raytown, near Kansas City, Missouri. It was built by the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific railroad in 1903-04, and was the final tunnel of four to be built on the entire Rock Island railroad, all of which were in Missouri. The tunnel is part of the Kansas City to St. Louis, Missouri line, and travels beneath Bannister Road. In 1980, the Rock Island was liquidated in court and the tunnel and line across Missouri was eventually sold to the St. Louis Southwestern Railway (AKA Cotton Belt).
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Line | Formerly the Kansas City to St. Louis, Missouri line |
| Coordinates | 38°56′52″N 94°26′07″W |
| System | Formerly Missouri Central Railroad |
| Crosses | Bannister Road, Kansas City, Missouri, USA |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 1904 |
| Closed | 1980 |
| Technical | |
| No. of tracks | Single |
The tunnel is 441 feet long.
There have been several owners of the line since 1980, after the Rock Island went bankrupt. Most of the line remains intact as does the tunnel, except for a few places where it has been cut for road improvements.
In 2016, the line was bought by Jackson County, Missouri. The line is currently being converted into the Rock Island Rail Trail. The first phase was completed in June 2019, and was 6.4 miles. The second phase is expected to be completed by early 2021 with an additional 7 miles with the total length of 13.5 miles. Vale Tunnel has received lighting and is one of the center pieces of the trail.