Sand Patch Tunnel, Northeast of State Route 2006, Sand Patch, Somerset County, PA

Significance: The Sand Patch Tunnel now used by CSX is the second railroad tunnel constructed through Negro Mountain at Sand Patch. The first tunnel, began in 1854 and completed in 1871, marked the original route of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad through the Allegheny Mountains. This 4,475'-long single-track tunnel was one of the largest tunneling projects in the nation at the time of its construction, but it was abandoned in 1912 after b & O engineers decided that a double-track tunnel was necessary. With a work crew of about 1,000 men, the second Sand Patch Tunnel, measuring nearly 4,000' in length, was erected in 1911-1912.
Survey number: HAER PA-375
Building/structure dates: 1912 Initial Construction