After two years of construction, the Armstrong Tunnel is back open to connect drivers from downtown to the South Side.
Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato was there Wednesday for the long-awaited ribbon-cutting:
“In a city and a region like ours, with hills and rivers and valleys, we need bridges and tunnels and retaining walls to keep us moving and to keep us safe,” said Innamorato.
In a release, the county explained the improvements made to the tunnel:
The Armstrong Tunnel now features a new lane configuration that is intended to slow traffic and improve safety. Prior to the project, there were two 10-foot-wide lanes with no shoulders in both the inbound and outbound tunnels. The inbound tunnel now has one 12-foot lane with two 4-foot shoulders except at the tunnel exit, where there are two right-turn lanes. The outbound tunnel now has one 12-foot lane with about 3-foot shoulders except at the tunnel exit, where there is a left turn lane and a straight/right-turn lane.
The 13-million-dollar facelift began in March of 2023. The tunnel first opened in 1927. More than 11,000 drivers use the Armstrong tunnels every day.
And, a reminder for Polish Hill, Lawrenceville, and Strip District commuters: the Herron Avenue Bridge is temporarily closed until further notice. An inspection found support piers deteriorating faster than expected with crumbling concrete and exposed steel. Motorists will detour on the Bloomfield or the 28th Street bridges.