PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — It’s become a rite of summer: For the ninth year in a row, SEPTA is shutting down its Center City trolley tunnel to conduct around-the-clock maintenance.
By closing the tunnel completely for 17 days, crews can get more uninterrupted work done, said SEPTA General Manager Leslie Richards.
“Safety reasons — not having to worry about extra activity around the workers, being able to keep equipment in place for several days, and not having to remove it every single night so that trolleys can come through in the morning,” she said.
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Richards said SEPTA operates its “trolley tunnel blitz” during the summer when ridership is lower, impacting fewer customers.
Trolleys will begin and end their service at 40th Street, as crews upgrade aging tracks, replace overhead contact wires, and rebuild the entire eastbound platform at 22nd Street. Crews will also work on signal systems, clean and paint.
During the closure, trolley routes 10, 11, 13, 34 and 36 will not operate in the tunnel. Riders will have to transfer to the Market-Frankford Line to go to and from Center City.
The closure begins at 10 p.m. Friday and reopens the morning of July 26.
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