PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — The bus tunnel connecting downtown Providence to the East Side will reopen next week, nearly seven months after closing for reconstruction, the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) announced .
Starting Thursday, Oct. 31, the detour will be lifted, and routes 1, 32, 33, 34, 40, and 61X will resume service through the East Side Transit Tunnel . The North Main Street bus shelter will reopen, temporary bus stops will be removed, and passengers can board at their usual stops.
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The tunnel was closed in late March for extensive repairs, which included new lighting, improved drainage, and renovations to the 110-year-old bus shelter near North Main Street.
Originally built in 1914 to allow trolleys to reach College Hill, the 1,800-foot underground passage now serves RIPTA buses as a direct connection between downtown Providence and the city’s East Side.
The tunnel was initially scheduled to reopen in mid-September. However, a n unexpected increase in repair costs — from $15.8 million to $23.3 million in August due to more than 20,000 feet of stress cracks — delayed completion until October.