Officials said the closure follows feedback from local businesses, downtown visitors and others who raised concerns about safety in the area. Police said the change also will help officers focus patrols around the bus station and Moore Square.
"This is ultimately about safety," said Evan Raleigh, one of the city's assistant city managers.
The city said work to close the tunnel will begin Tuesday and is expected to be completed by Wednesday. Once the tunnel is closed, people accessing the station will need to use Hargett or Martin streets.
City officials said the closure is intended to improve security and allow police to deploy resources more effectively.
"This is really security-focused and allows our police resources to focus on different areas of the station and manage those resources more effectively," said Het Patel, Raleigh's assistant director for transportation.
Raleigh police said the move will help the department address illegal activity in the area while increasing its visibility.
"The common ones would be loitering, alcohol use, drug sales, anything like that. We want to push that out," said Capt. Matt Chestnut of the Raleigh Police Department.
Chestnut said residents and visitors can expect to see more officers in the area.
"With our new station closer to the GoRaleigh station and Moore Square, you may see us doing more foot patrols. You may see us on bikes or even on UTVs more in that area," he said.
Some residents expressed support for the decision.
"I hope I see some progress. No more things happening that aren't supposed to be happening. Hopefully it changes," said Ty Banks of Raleigh.
City leaders said the tunnel closure is only the first step in broader discussions about downtown safety, including in Glenwood South.
"We are not solely focused on any particular area. We are always looking holistically across the footprint of the city and looking to make safety improvements when we can," Raleigh said.
Banks said he supports efforts aimed at improving safety throughout the city.
"I support it, whatever is going to make the city better and less dangerous for people because I want there to be more productive activities for us to do and not just sit downtown," he said.
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