Rocheport

The tunnel is closed, and it looks like it will be closed for a long time. They are doing some kind of work on the rock around the western opening. There is a ridearound on the highway. We did not take the ridearound, so cannot comment on the traffic.

Bill, if the tunnel is closed and you didn't use the detour, how were you able to pass through? Planning to ride the whole trail soon, and your reports are helpful.

I checked out the Rocheport closure while riding my motorcycle today. Yes, work is being done right at the tunnel. I rode, by motorcycle, the detour suggested by the state park system. The 1 mile section on Highway 240 spur seems fine, no shoulder but very little vehicle traffic. The next section of the detour is 3.2 miles on US Highway 40. US Highway 40 has the grooves cut into the highway along each shoulder. If you are traveling westbound on the detour, there is approximately 1 to 2 feet of pavement between the road grooves and the gravel on the shoulder, MAYBE enough paved shoulder space to not have to ride in the vehicle lane. If you are traveling eastbound on the detour on Hwy 40, the grooves on the highway are cut so close to the shoulder, that there is not enough room to safely ride on the paved shoulder without getting in the gravel. From what I could see, most of the eastbound route on Highway 40 will be riding in the vehicle Lane. I guess you could ride in the gravel/rock shoulder for 3 miles, but it is not hard-packed chat surface like Katy trail. We start our Clinton to St. Charles ride next Monday, not sure if I am going to take my group out on US Highway 40.
Also checked out the closure at Boonville. As of Sunday afternoon, the orange gates were on the shoulder of the trail at the Boonville Trail head and at the other end of the stated closure, mile marker 191.

Lynn, there were no workers on Sunday, so we walked through the constructions zone. We would not have been able to do so if workers were there.

This is a question for Mark. What time of day did you ride the detour and what was the level of traffic?
I have toured on roads quite a bit and this type of road is ok with me unless the level of traffic is high.
Thanks,
Allen

Allen: I rode the detour on my motorcycle on Sunday afternoon around noon. I would say traffic was light. I do not want to expose my wife, sister and sister-in-law to those detour conditions. If I was by myself, I would ride the detour, being cautious as you would be riding on any other road.

I spoke with a rep from State Parks System. The tunnel had to be closed unexpectedly due to unstable rocks in the tunnel and above it.
Project could be done "around May 1", depending on weather and actual condition of the tunnel.

It's 4pm on Wednesday 5/1. I've just returned from a walk to the Katy Tunnel at Rocheport and it remains closed to bicycle and pedestrian traffic. There is equipment at the East side of the tunnel and they are using very tall extendable platforms with men and pneumatic or electric powered chisels to scale to the very top of the tunnel bluff and chisel off loose or nearly loose rock that might fall on trail users below. It appears that the entire east face of the rock bluff above the trail has been removed...I can't estimate the depth of the removal but some amount of that rock face is gone. It is a safety issue and one that DNR has worried about for at least a decade. Perhaps fifteen years (or more) ago, the tunnel was closed for a month or so while evaluations were made for this safety issue. Apparently, at that time, no action was taken. I wasn't able to ask any workers when they thought the job would be finished. No matter for a few days anyway. The river will slightly cover the trail just west of Rocheport and that alone would result in a trail closure and detour from the west into Rocheport.