SEPTA to Start Trolley Tunnel Blitz July 8th

Photo by Jeff Fusco for Visit Philadelphia

For the fourth consecutive summer, SEPTA will be closing down the Center City trolley tunnel for repairs. The “Trolley Tunnel Blitz” will take place from July 8th-18th.

During the blitz, trolley routes 10, 11, 13, 34 and 36 will not operate in the Center City tunnel. Service will begin and end at 40th and Market for these routes, where riders can transfer to the Market-Frankford El to reach Center City. 

Workers will remove and replace 1,500 feet of wood protection board, which is a part of the system that connects overhead wires to the tunnel ceiling, as well as replacing track on the westbound side of the tunnel between 19th and 22nd street that has been in use for 30 years, according to SEPTA’s statement.

Additionally, they will do maintenance tasks like cleaning the stations and repairing tile, and test emergency generators and lighting.

“The Trolley Tunnel Blitz allows SEPTA to maximize productivity during improvements projects while minimizing the period of inconvenience to passengers and communities because it is held during the summer when ridership is lower,” said SEPTA general manager Jeffrey Knueppel in a statement.

The repairs will begin at 10 p.m. on the 8th and end at 4 a.m. on the 18th. More information can be found here.