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SEPTA's trolley tunnel to be closed for repairs

The Center City tunnel will be closed starting Friday night for its annual maintenance blitz. It reopens July 17.

Trolley turn around at 40th Street. The Center City trolley tunnel is about to undergo its annual maintenance blitz.
Trolley turn around at 40th Street. The Center City trolley tunnel is about to undergo its annual maintenance blitz.Read moreDAVID SWANSON / Staff Photographer

SEPTA's trolley tunnel in Center City will be closed for more than a week, starting Friday night, for an annual maintenance blitz.

Trolleys will not operate east of 40th Street from 10 p.m. Friday through 5 a.m. Monday, July 17, SEPTA said.

Routes 10, 11, 13, 34 and 36 will begin and end their routes at 40th and Market Streets during that period.

Riders should use the Market-Frankford Line for the rest of their trips to and from Center City.

During the nine-day closure, crews will work around the clock on repairs and improvements, the transit agency said. SEPTA says the complete closure of the tunnel maximizes productivity and improves safety and reliability for the trolley system. The maintenance effort is done during the summer when ridership is lower.

Among the work on tap for this year:

  1. Replacing wood protection board, which attaches overhead wire to the ceiling

  2. Installing new trolley and track wires

  3. Replacing curved rail and rail clamps

  4. Replacing rail crossing points known as "frogs" at Chester and Woodland Avenues

  5. Testing and performing maintenance on electrical switches

  6. Graffiti removal

  7. Tile repair

  8. Painting

  9. Testing emergency generators and lighting

  10. Drain clearing and other cleaning

More information about the construction and maintenance work is on SEPTA's website.

Separately, track-replacement work along Girard Avenue has shuttle buses replacing Route 15 trolleys for the entire length of the line until mid-September. Work is also underway to improve the area around the 40th Street Trolley Portal.