Mt. Washington Transit Tunnel expected to reopen Christmas Day after delay

After a two-month setback, the Mt. Washington Transit Tunnel is expected to reopen on Christmas Day, Pittsburgh Regional Transit announced on Monday. 

The tunnel has been closed since February while crews replaced the track inside and worked on other "critical" infrastructure upgrades, PRT said. It was expected to open back up by the end of October, but a design issue required the contractor to adjust the location of a newly installed section of track. 

Now that construction is complete, PRT said it has successfully tested the tracks and employees are now training in preparation for reopening. Once that's done, the tunnel will open back up. 

PRT says the Mt. Washington Transit Tunnel is the only tunnel in the country that's used by both rail and bus transit. It connects the South Hills and Downtown Pittsburgh. 

When the tunnel opens back up, PRT says the detoured rail service through Allentown will end, the "Subway Local" rail shuttle will be discontinued and rail service will return to Station Square. Station Square had been included in the free fare zone during construction, but that will end, too. 

The tunnel is expected to reopen on Dec. 25, PRT says. For updates or questions, riders are encouraged to call PRT customer service at 412-442-2000, contact them on X or talk to a representative online.