Pittsburgh Regional Transit Plans to Permanently Close Wabash Tunnel

PITTSBURGH – Pittsburgh Regional Transit plans to permanently close the Wabash Tunnel on December 1, pending approval by the PRT Board next week.

Keeping the tunnel open for long-term use would require an estimated $43 million in rehabilitation, in 2025 dollars. Following a comprehensive evaluation of the tunnel’s condition, safety, and long-term viability, PRT is recommending that the tunnel be decommissioned and closed to traffic.

PRT’s Board will consider the proposal at its regularly scheduled meeting on Friday, October 23.

“The Wabash Tunnel has a long history in Pittsburgh, but today it primarily serves private vehicle traffic rather than public transit,” said PRT CEO Katharine Kelleman. “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 originally constructed in 1903 as part of the Wabash-Pittsburg Terminal Railroad. PRT, then the Port Authority of Allegheny County, acquired the tunnel in 1996 and converted it into a paved roadway facility with the use of federal transit funding. It reopened in 2004 as a High Occupancy Vehicle facility and was later opened to all traffic in 2017.

Today, the tunnel primarily serves private vehicle traffic and about 1,500 vehicles use the tunnel each day. PRT no longer provides scheduled transit service through the tunnel and has used it only as a detour route when regular bus service has been disrupted by roadwork or special events.

While the overall tunnel structure remains in fair condition, several critical components, including lighting, ventilation, and electrical systems, are in poor to critical condition and have exceeded their useful life. Keeping the tunnel open would require significant rehabilitation to meet current safety standards.

The closure will not affect the Wabash Park and Ride, which will remain open and continue to serve customers.

PRT requested and received concurrence from the Federal Transit Administration earlier this year to close the tunnel and retain the $848,238 in remaining federal funding value associated with the tunnel. That amount reflects the portion of the tunnel’s original federally funded value that remains after depreciation. The funds will be applied toward a future eligible federally funded PRT capital project.

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