Staple Bend Tunnel Culverts

Culvert along the trail

NPS

The Allegheny Portage Railroad had 157 passages for water under the railroad along its 36-mile length. Though some were impressive viaducts, the most famous of which was the Conemaugh Viaduct with an 80 foot span, most of these passages were stone culverts and drains with spans of just a few feet to twenty feet. Passages for water had to be created for even the smallest of streams, even ones that are dry for part of the year, because during storms rushing water could quickly wash the railbed away and cause travel delays and expensive repairs. These culverts were all created from hand cut sandstone that was quarried nearby and then covered over with earthen fill to create a level roadbed for the tracks above. The park has been restoring many of these culverts, but many others are still in good repair and still function to divert water under and away from the railroad to this day.