Photo by Andrew Augustus 

By Sam Wroblewski  630wpro.com     

RIPTA announced the emergency closure of the College Hill tunnel on social media early Friday morning.

Outbound buses traveling North and South on North Main Street on routes 35,40, 49, 61X, 78 and 92 will be making detours along Olney, Hope and Thayer Streets; inbound routes 35, 40, 61X, 78, and 92 will also be making detours.

The emergency closure was caused by a water main leak in the area of Benefit Street and Waterman Ave. According to RIPTA’s Public Affairs officer Barbra Polichetti, the leak was discovered late Thursday night.

“Our crews have seen the water coming through the ceiling. through the masonry wall, and someone said it looks like a heavy rain storm,” said Polichetti.

Polichetti said crews are working to remove the water and structural engineers will be going out to the tunnel to look for damage to the 100-year-old masonry walls. The water has not yet been turned off in the area.

The Providence Water Supply Board said will be performing an emergency repair of the leak and to do so they will have to shut off water to approximately 100 customers.

There is no estimate when the tunnel will be operational again.