Providence bus tunnel closes March 25 to September. What to know about detours, repairs

Wheeler Cowperthwaite, Providence Journal
·2 min read

PROVIDENCE − The East Side Tunnel, used by buses and emergency vehicles, will be shut down from March 25 until September as crews work to make repairs.

The tunnel dates to 1914, when it first served trolleys climbing College Hill, and today allows buses to skip the steep incline. The tunnel entrance is on North Main Street next to Waterman Street. It exits at Thayer Street, next to Waterman. The entire tunnel is 2,160 feet long.

In 2018, the state received a $900,000 federal grant for tunnel repairs.

A RIPTA bus stops to pick up passengers before heading up to the East Side through the bus tunnel.
A RIPTA bus stops to pick up passengers before heading up to the East Side through the bus tunnel.

According to the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority's website, work on the tunnel will address drainage, lighting, cracks and "restoration" of the bus stop on North Main Street "honoring the historic nature of the tunnel."

Bus detours for the tunnel closure

Routes 1, 32, 33, 34, 40 and 61x will all be detoured during construction, via Angell and Waterman streets.

Routes 32, 33, 34, 40 and 61x

Inbound trips on routes 32, 33, 34, 40 and 61x will continue on Angell Street through to Steeple Street and then proceed on the normal route.

The bus stop will be on Angell Street at Hope Street, and there will be no stops between Angell and Hope streets and Kennedy Plaza.

This map shows the closed bus stop at Thayer Street and the two new bus stops on Angell and Waterman streets, as the tunnel is shut down for construction starting March 25, 2024.
This map shows the closed bus stop at Thayer Street and the two new bus stops on Angell and Waterman streets, as the tunnel is shut down for construction starting March 25, 2024.

Outbound trips for routes 32, 33, 34, 40 and 61x will go to North Main Street via Washington Place, go up the hill on Waterman Street, then proceed along the regular route.

At the bottom of the hill, passengers will get on at the temporary bus stop at the traffic island at Washington Place.

At the top of the hill, the stop is on Waterman at Hope Street.

Route 1

Inbound trips for Route 1 will go to Thayer, left onto Waterman Street, left onto Brook Street, left onto Angell Street, follow Angell Street to Steeple Street and then continue with the normal route.

The temporary bus stop is on Thayer before Meeting Street, and there will be no stops between Thayer at Meeting Street and Kennedy Plaza.

Outbound trips for Route 1 will go to North Main Street via Washington Place, go up the hill on Waterman Street, left onto Brook Street, then be back to the regular route.

At the bottom of the hill, the bus stop will be at Brook Street after Angell Street.

The new temporary bus stops

This map shows where the temporary bus stop is on North Main Street, starting March 25.
This map shows where the temporary bus stop is on North Main Street, starting March 25.

  • North Main Street, outbound: Pedestrian island on Washington Place before North Main Street.

  • Thayer Street, outbound: Stop on Waterman before Hope.

  • Thayer Street, inbound: Stop on Angell before Hope.

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Reach reporter Wheeler Cowperthwaite at wcowperthwaite@providencejournal.com or follow him on Twitter @WheelerReporter.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Providence bus tunnel closes March 25 for repairs as detours planned