Rating:
3 votes

Turkey Creek Diversion Tunnel

Wyandotte County, Kansas

Photo 

Outfall culvert at the Kaw River

Public Domain: Published Prior to 1923

View this photo at books.google.com

BH Photo #451948

Map 

Facts 

Overview
Water Diversion Tunnel for Turkey Creek in Kansas City
Location
Kansas City, Wyandotte County, Kansas
Status
Currently Open as a Water Diversion Tunnel for Turkey Creek
History
Constructed to divert Turkey Creek into the Kansas River. Rehabilitated 2009
Builders
- Thomas Kelly & Sons, Inc. of Winnepeg, Manitoba, Canada
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of Washington, D.C.
Design
24 Foot Diameter Conrcrete Horseshoe Shaped Tunnel
Dimensions
Total length: 1,261.0 ft.
Deck width: 24.0 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 28.0 ft.
Approximate latitude, longitude
+39.07549, -94.61728   (decimal degrees)
39°04'32" N, 94°37'02" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
15/360101/4326398 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Kansas City
Inventory number
BH 42332 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

Built 1919 (522)
Built during 1910s (9,624)
Culvert (1,365)
Kansas (3,191)
Kansas City, Kansas (40)
Open (39,798)
Owned by Corps of Engineers (94)
 Owned by federal government (1,220)
Thomas Kelly & Sons, Inc. (1)
Total length 1000-2500 feet (1,881)
Tunnel (1,296)
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (38)
Wyandotte County, Kansas (49)

Update Log 

  • July 9, 2019: Updated by Luke: Added builder
  • January 10, 2014: Updated by Luke Harden: Corrected builder to the prexisting category
  • January 10, 2014: Updated by Chris Knight: Added Some Info from the source at http://books.google.com/books?id=5D0SpiaDRTIC&pg=PA603&lpg=PA603&dq=Turkey+Creek+tunnel&source=bl&ots=7QvaMzV8px&sig=7OLajueA-PH2K5KkrYVOEW5b6XU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=PJPQUt
  • July 15, 2011: Updated by Robert Elder: Added Built date and Total length
  • December 11, 2009: Updated by Robert Elder: Edited Overview and History.
  • April 13, 2009: Added by Robert Elder

Sources 

  • Robert Elder - robertelder1 [at] gmail [dot] com
  • Luke
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Comments 

Turkey Creek Tunnel
Posted July 15, 2011, by Robert Elder (robertelder1 [at] gmail [dot] com)

I have added some new information for this tunnel. Sources

http://www.rosedale.org/turkeycreekcelebration.htm

http://www.kmbc.com/r/15980447/detail.html

Turkey Creek Tunnel
Posted April 26, 2009, by Gary F

The tunnel is normally flooded, and wide enough to turn a 20 foot boat around in. Height is at least 15 feet.

Turkey Creek Tunnel
Posted April 13, 2009, by Robert Elder (robertelder1 [at] gmail [dot] com)

This large tunnel was constructed under a limestone ridge in Kansas City, Kansas for the purpose of diverting Turkey Creek into the Kansas River. Turkey Creek, which is a prominent stream in northeastern Johnson Co. and southeastern Wyandotte Co. Kansas, originally continued to the northeast often flooding the West Bottoms of Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri.

On 12, April 2009, KMBC Channel 9 out of Kansas City, MO showed some footage of the tunnel in a special weather segment. Although I do not know the dimensions of the tunnel, it appears large enough that at vehicle could easily be driven through it, although this is undoubtedly forbidden, not to mention dangerous.