Plans: Reopened Connector tunnel, more bike lanes in works for Midtown
Josh Green
Mon, 07/07/2025 - 14:38
Even the wonkiest of Atlanta wonks might be unaware there’s a pedestrian tunnel underneath the Connector, seamlessly linking Georgia Tech to Midtown. It’s been closed to the general public for 17 years, with the exception of special occasions such as some Georgia Tech football games.
But according to the latest alternative transportation plans being compiled by Midtown Alliance, the 3rd Street Tunnel could be part of a broader push to boost east-west connectivity across the growing subdistrict and beyond.
Midtown Alliance, a nonprofit coalition of business and community leaders, has started putting together plans for a multimodal overhaul of 3rd Street stretching between Piedmont Avenue and the tunnel. The project is in engineering and design phases now.
A reopened 3rd Street Tunnel—as Georgia Tech proposed in its first Comprehensive Campus Plan in two decades, released in 2023—would be required to open up 3rd Street connectivity beneath the Connector to all points west.
“[A]s retail, housing, and commercial development expands along and around 3rd Street in Midtown, providing multiple modes of transportation has become increasingly important,” as Midtown Alliance notes.
Just south of 3rd Street, as one example, a massive Landmark Properties proposal with more than 2,230 bedrooms geared toward Georgia Tech students is scheduled to break ground this year.
Scope of proposed 3rd Street changes in Midtown between Piedmont Avenue and the eastern blocks of Georgia Tech's campus. Midtown Alliance
Sidewalk enhancements and the tunnel entry, as seen looking east to Midtown in March. Google Maps
Currently, bike lanes on 3rd Street exist between Peachtree and West Peachtree streets, but those offer no buffer from vehicles and span just two blocks. Midtown Alliance is proposing to expand those lanes to the east and west and install protections for cyclists and micromobility device users.
To collect public input and outline plans, Midtown Alliance has scheduled a pop-up, drop-in public meeting from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the corner of 3rd and Cypress streets. Staff will be on site to answer questions and detail the proposal.
The tunnel between Georgia Tech and Midtown was closed by the university and Georgia Tech Police Department in 2008 due to crime concerns.
Eastern entry to the closed tunnel near Midtown's torch structure in March. Google Maps
Where a reopened tunnel would restore connectivity between Midtown and Georgia Tech between streets crossing over the Connector. Google Maps
Prior to shutting down the tunnel for public use, officials tried safety measures such as closing tunnel gates after midnight and adding more lighting, but after-dark criminal activity “such as vagrancy and robberies was still a problem for the area,” as the institute’s Technique newspaper relayed in June 2008.
On the flipside of the tunnel from Midtown, Georgia Tech has completed sidewalk widening and other streetscape enhancements on campus as part of broader efforts to lessen car-dependency and open up social spaces.
Swing up to the gallery for more imagery and context.
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Scope of proposed 3rd Street changes in Midtown between Piedmont Avenue and the eastern blocks of Georgia Tech's campus. Midtown Alliance
Where a reopened tunnel would restore connectivity between Midtown and Georgia Tech between streets crossing over the Connector. Google Maps
Sidewalk enhancements and the tunnel entry, as seen looking east to Midtown in March. Google Maps
Eastern entry to the closed tunnel near Midtown's torch structure in March. Google Maps
Tunnel patrons during a Georgia Tech football game day in September. Google Maps
State of the 3rd Street Tunnel, as seen from Georgia Tech's closed gates in 2018. Explore Atlanta/YouTube
Western entry to the tunnel under the Connector seven years ago. Explore Atlanta/YouTube
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Goal is to increase east-west connectivity across growing district, per Midtown Alliance
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