The Flathead Tunnel is a railroad
tunnel in the
Rocky Mountains of northwest
Montana near
Trego, approximately west of
Whitefish. Located on the
BNSF Railway's Kootenai River Subdivision, it is the second-longest railroad tunnel in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
after the
Cascade Tunnel.
It is ultimately named after the
Bitterroot Salish, also known as the Flathead.
The tunnel was constructed for the
Great Northern Railway by the Walsh Construction Company and S.J. Groves and Sons (collectively known as Walsh–Groves) at a cost of nearly $44 million (equivalent to $ million in ).
It is part of a rerouting of the Great Northern
Hi-Line that became a necessity due to construction of
Libby Dam and subsequent creation of
Lake Koocanusa.
Work began on May 12, 1966.
Drilling was completed on June 21, 1968 when President
Lyndon B. Johnson ceremoniously triggered a final explosion from a circuit connected via telephone to the
White House.
Finishing work continued for the following two years, and the tunnel, along with the entire rerouted rail line it is a part of, opened on November 1, 1970. An opening ceremony was held on November 7, 1970 and included the passage of the first ''official'' train through the tunnel, a 21-car
passenger special carrying 1,200 area residents who were offered the opportunity to travel a circular route from
Libby and back on both the new and old rail lines.
Official records indicate that two people were killed in two separate incidents during construction, both occurring after drilling was complete.
the tunnel is used by about 40
freight trains each day as well as
Amtrak's ''
Empire Builder''.
Maximum speed through the tunnel is .
The north portal contains a ventilation system to clear the tunnel of diesel locomotive exhaust and provide cooling air to eastbound locomotives, as there is an uphill
grade heading eastbound.
References
External links
RR Pictures Archive - east portal
Railroad tunnels in Montana
Buildings and structures in Lincoln County, Montana
Great Northern Railway (U.S.) tunnels
BNSF Railway tunnels
Tunnels completed in 1970
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