Wabash Tunnel In Pittsburgh To Permanently Close

PITTSBURGH, PA — The century-old Wabash Tunnel, which runs from West Carson Street near Station Square to Woodruff Street near Route 51, is slated to permanently close on Dec. 1.

The move, announced Thursday by Pittsburgh Regional Transit, is dependent upon approval by the organization's board next week.

The transit agency estimated it would cost $43 million in rehabilitation efforts to keep the tunnel in operation.

“The Wabash Tunnel has a long history in Pittsburgh, but today it primarily serves private vehicle traffic rather than public transit,” Pittsburgh Regional Transit CEO Katharine Kelleman said in a statement.

“With an estimated $43 million needed to rehabilitate the tunnel, we have a responsibility to focus our limited resources on the infrastructure that is most critical to delivering safe, reliable transit service.”

The tunnel was built in 1903 as part of the Wabash-Pittsburgh Terminal Railroad. Pittsburgh Regional Transit, then the Port Authority of Allegheny County, acquired the tunnel in 1996 and used federal transit funding to convert it into a paved roadway.

The tunnel reopened in 2004 as a high occupancy vehicle facility. It was opened to all traffic in 2017.

According to the transit agency, today the tunnel serves about 1,500 vehicles daily. There currently is no scheduled transit service through that and buses only use it as a detour route when regular service is interrupted by construction or special events.

While the tunnel structure itself is in fair condition, Pittsburgh Regional Transit says the lighting, ventilation and electrical systems are in poor to critical condition and rehabilitating them to meet current safety standards would be cost prohibitive.

The closure will not affect the Wabash Park and Ride, which will remain open.

The Federal Transit Administration already has approved the closure.