Partial closure of the Línea Tunnel announced in Havana: which routes will be affected?

The Provincial Commission of Road Safety of Havana has announced that the Línea Tunnel will operate with restrictions for three consecutive days starting this Thursday.

The entity stated that the partial closure of the structure will take place from September 17 to 19, during the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., to carry out maintenance activities at the facility.

The actions will be implemented gradually: first in the direction from Plaza de la Revolución to Playa, and then in the opposite direction, from Playa to Plaza de la Revolución.

The measure will directly affect several public transport lines. According to the Provincial Transport Company of Havana, the routes P1, P5, 8, 20, 34, and 37 will alter their usual routes during the three days of work.

Route P1, one of the busiest in the capital, which travels between La Rosita and Playa, passes directly through the tunnel, so its detour will affect thousands of users of Havana's public transportation.

For private drivers, the authorities have opened three alternative routes: 23rd Street, 41st Avenue, and the Malecon.

The Línea Tunnel connects Avenida Línea in the Plaza de la Revolución municipality with the Miramar area in the Playa municipality, passing beneath the Almendares River. It is one of three underground roadway structures in Havana, alongside the Calzada Tunnel and the Bay Tunnel.

In August 2024, a similar closure took place in the same Línea Tunnel for painting, patching, and structural repair work.

More recently, partial closures of the Bay Tunnel took place on September 14 and 16, also during the daytime and alternating directions.

The pattern followed by the authorities is consistent: partial closures with alternating directions during daylight hours, along with pre-established alternative routes and the presence of traffic officers to assist drivers.

The note was issued by the Provincial Road Safety Commission and published by the Ministry of Transport (MITRANS), whose head is Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, under the hashtag #TransporteCuba.

The authorities urged users "to comply with the provisions set forth in this notice and to remain attentive to the guidance of law enforcement officers, with the aim of preventing traffic accidents."