Pittsburgh Regional Transit's board officially votes to close Wabash Tunnel

Drivers who use Pittsburgh's Wabash Tunnel are mourning the impending closure of the more than 100-year-old tunnel.

Pittsburgh Regional Transit's board officially voted on Friday to close the tunnel on Dec. 1, citing the cost of needed upcoming repairs to the tunnel and a low number of drivers using it. 

"A lot of us depend on it," said Andrew Swensen, who uses the tunnel to save 15 minutes on his commute daily.

Just 1,500 drivers use the tunnel on a daily basis, PRT said. 

"I'm not happy," said driver Joseph Damico. "I don't understand why it has to [close]."

John Moore, another driver, called it "the quickest way out of town."

PRT said the tunnel's closure has to do with what is approximately $43 million in repairs that have to be completed to correct what it calls critical tunnel safety components in bad shape, such as lighting, ventilation, electrical, and fire suppression systems. 

Asked if it's worth spending the millions of dollars to fix a tunnel few people use, Damico said it's "probably not," noting he wasn't sure if the figures PRT had provided were accurate. 

"I think actually the biggest problem is not enough people know that it's here in the first place. And if people knew, I think it could relieve a lot of the pressure on the other corridors," Swensen said. 

The tunnel itself is still structurally in fair condition. While it won't be filled in once decommissioned, a fence will go up on either end, preventing drivers, walkers and bikers from going inside. 

However, it leaves open the possibility that the tunnel could reopen down the line, but PRT officials said the cost would only increase as time goes on. 

The transit agency made multiple attempts to see if the city, county, or state would take over the tunnel, and there were not any takers, with all the agencies cash-strapped themselves.

PRT has maintained the tunnel for years, despite it not having regular transit service through the tunnel.