Historic tunnel that connects Stowe Township to downtown Pittsburgh getting much-needed facelift

STOWE TOWNSHIP, Pa. — The Stowe Tunnel is a road tunnel located in Stowe Township. The tunnel is considered one of Pittsburgh’s gateways to the city.

Built in 1909, the tunnel is the oldest PennDOT-owned tunnel.

“It is a piece of history. I love the history of our town and this is a piece of history and it’s a very heavily traveled piece of history,” Stowe Township Commissioner Cheryl McDermott explained.

The last complete renovation was in 1940. Since then, the walls have been painted, jersey barriers installed, and most recently PennDOT replaced the lights. Now, it’s time for more extensive work.

“The issue now is the interior, the walls, the walls are all crumbling. We got holes in the walls and it’s kind of unsafe, not so much to drive through but to walk through,” McDermott said.

The tunnel is not only heavily traveled by car but also by pedestrians, including kids walking to school. This is one of the main reasons McDermott has been pushing for the renovation for so long.

“It makes me proud to say in nine years, we finally got it completed.”

The renovation project will take place August 30 through September 13.

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