Located in Kentucky sits a tunnel that was once a very important part of travel, unfortunately, it has since been abandoned, but it's quite the sight!

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The Brooklyn Bridge in Kentucky

To know the story of this abandoned tunnel (which is sometimes referred to as Boone Tunnel) we first have to investigate the story of the Brooklyn Bridge.  No, not the famous Brooklyn Bridge in New York, this Brooklyn Bridge was located in Kentucky.

Kentucky's Brooklyn Bridge was first opened in the year 1871,  According to River Towns of Central Kentucky by Melissa C. Jurgensen:

The Brooklyn Bridge was a 250-foot-long iron through truss bridge that carried the Lexington, Harrodsburg and Perrysville Turnpike across the Kentucky River. Before the construction of the Boone Tunnel immediately north of the bridge, travelers would have to pass along a dangerous projection over the cliff edge, and then the road would double back to the bridge.

Later in the 1920s, the Highway Department decided to improve the stretch of road that led to the Brooklyn Bridge and created a tunnel that would allow direct passage onto the bridge through the cliff.

A Tunnel Now Sits Abandoned

Unfortunately in 1953 the Brooklyn Bridge would collapse into the Kentucky River and was never rebuilt.   For this reason, the tunnel would no longer need to be used.  Highway 68 now crosses over a new bridge and bypasses this tunnel altogether.  The tunnel now sits as a relic of the past.  The photo below shows how the tunnel opening is now obscured a bit from view after decades of overgrowth have taken over.

Recently I saw a post with photos of the abandoned tunnel in a group on Facebook, the group is called Kentucky Waterfalls, Arches, and Landscapes and in that group, I've learned so much about Kentucky.  Bob Nevitt posted about this tunnel in the group and shared photos from when he visited.  Thank you Bob for allowing me to share your photos!