A major railroad tunnel was built in 1889 to connect Cumberland Gap, TN to Middlesboro, KY. A couple years after that, a spur line was constructed to connect Cumberland Gap to Harrogate. This tunnel was constructed to get through a 1200 foot long ridge. The bricks you see here are original to the tunnel.
The tracks to Harrogate have long been abandoned and was converted to a pedestrian trail. This tunnel and two bridges are part of this path. When US58 was widened, there was a need to extend this tunnel further under the highway; this newer portion is corrugated metal instead of brick. This tunnel is also used by Lincoln Memorial University students who stay in the University Inn dormitory and choose to walk to campus.
The best way to visit the tunnel today is on the Cumberland Gap side. At the south end of Roslyn Ave. is Kaitlyn DeVries Dog Park. There is ample parking here and it's about a 500 ft. walk to the entrance.
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