PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Regional Transit plans to permanently close the Wabash Tunnel, pending approval from the agency’s board of directors.
Keeping the roadway open for long-term use would require an estimated $43 million in structural and system rehabilitations.
The recommendation to decommission the facility follows a comprehensive evaluation of its safety, condition and long-term viability. The tunnel currently carries about 1,500 private vehicles each day and PRT no longer operates scheduled transit service through the route.
Katharine Kelleman, chief executive officer of PRT, stated that the agency must prioritize core public transportation needs over maintaining the facility.
“The Wabash Tunnel has a long history in Pittsburgh, but today it primarily serves private vehicle traffic rather than public transit,” Kelleman said. “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 Wabash Tunnel was originally built in 1903 as part of the Wabash-Pittsburg Terminal Railroad. PRT, then known as the Port Authority of Allegheny County, acquired the property in 1996 and converted it into a paved roadway using federal transit funds. The tunnel reopened as a high-occupancy vehicle facility in 2004 before opening to all traffic in 2017.
Although the overall tunnel structure remains in fair condition, essential operating equipment has degraded. Lighting, ventilation and electrical systems are in poor to critical condition and have exceeded their useful life. PRT has used the tunnel only as a detour route when roadwork or special events disrupted regular bus routes.
The closure will not affect the Wabash Park and Ride, which will remain open for transit users.
PRT requested and received approval from the Federal Transit Administration earlier this year to close the tunnel and retain $848,238 in remaining depreciated federal value, which will be applied toward a future eligible capital project.
The PRT Board is scheduled to vote on the proposal at its meeting on Friday, Oct. 23. If the board approves the recommendation, the tunnel will close permanently on Dec. 1.
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