Rendering courtesy of RIPTA

RIPTA’s Project Management team is overseeing this project, including the upcoming construction on the tunnel interior as well as full design and construction of the improved bus stops at Thayer Street.

The bus tunnel that connects downtown Providence to the city's East Side will be closed until mid-September, according to the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA).

The East Side Transit Tunnel on North Main Street is set to undergo significant repairs, including improved lighting, increased drainage, structural repairs, patching cracks in the walls and ceiling, and renovations to the 110-year-old structure with the aim of returning it to its original splendor.

Construction on the tunnel's interior began March 25.

It was first built in 1914 to help trolley lines reach the top of Providence's College Hill, but it is now used solely by RIPTA buses as a direct connection between the East Side and the West Side of the capital city.

Several RIPTA bus routes typically use the tunnel, all of which have been detoured via Angell and Waterman streets throughout the construction effort.

Those who typically board the bus on North Main Street are instead directed to use the pedestrian island on Washington Place. Passengers who wait for the bus on Thayer Street are asked to use alternate stops, which include the ones on Waterman and Angell streets.

Today, the East Side Tunnel continues to support an east-west transit corridor across Providence, Rhode Island's largest city, by providing direct bus travel on dedicated lanes.

As RIPTA works to further expand and improve service to meet the goals set in its Transit Forward RI 2040 plan, the state agency's amenities and infrastructure need to be able to support more riders and more buses, RIPTA noted on its website's tunnel project page.

"RIPTA riders deserve comfortable, safe and accessible amenities while waiting for the bus," according to an agency announcement about the tunnel's renovation. "In this project, RIPTA aims to create conceptual plans to improve the passenger experience on both ends of the [East Side Tunnel], including recommendations for bus stop locations and better amenities such as signage, shelters, and lighting as well as ADA accessibility.

"RIPTA will also honor the historic nature of the tunnel and its location in the community, using this project as an opportunity for placemaking. To this end, we have engaged with a variety of historic preservation organizations, neighborhood and business organizations, and the higher educational institutions that exist over and around it."

As a result of the tunnel's upgrades, North Main Street's exterior bi-directional bus lane plan will not be moving forward until further notice, according to RIPTA. However, Thayer Street's plan will soon start engineering and design. The conceptual design was determined based on the input RIPTA received and in keeping with its project goals of safety, accessibility and passenger comfort.

RIPTA's Project Management team is overseeing the renovation effort, including the upcoming construction on the tunnel interior as well as full design and construction of the improved bus stops at Thayer Street.

The transit agency said the process involves continued contact with its stakeholders and working with the city of Providence and the Rhode Island Department of Transportation for approval and permitting.

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