PRT’s University Line Construction to Begin September 13
September 6, 2023
After more than a decade of planning, construction on the downtown portion of Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s University Line will begin Wednesday, September 13. The University Line is PRT’s first bus rapid transit project under the new level of service branded as PRTX.
Construction will begin on Fifth Avenue between Liberty Avenue and Market Street adjacent to Triangle Park.
The first month of construction will include relocating and replacing water and sewer infrastructure.
Construction will take place on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Upcoming traffic changes:
- Traffic on Fifth Avenue will be reconfigured for the first 30 days of construction.
- Both lanes of Fifth Avenue heading toward Fifth Avenue Place will be closed from Market Street to Liberty Avenue. Vehicles traveling toward Fifth Avenue Place will use the remaining travel lane.
- Traffic coming from Liberty Avenue onto Fifth Avenue will be detoured onto Sixth Avenue or Fourth Avenue via Stanwix Street.
- The sidewalk along Fifth Avenue adjacent to Triangle Park will be inaccessible during this work.
Once construction is complete, the Downtown Loop will include five PRTX stations:
- Ross Street (Fifth Avenue at Ross Street)
- William Penn Place (Fifth Avenue at William Penn Place)
- Market Square (Fifth Avenue at Market Street)
- Wood Street (Sixth Avenue at Wood Street)
- Steel Plaza (Sixth Avenue at Grant Street)
Buses will enter downtown on Fifth Avenue, turn right onto Liberty Avenue, right onto Sixth Avenue, and left onto Forbes Avenue. Construction of the Downtown Loop is expected to take 18 months.
PRT’s Board awarded the $27.8 million contract to Independence Excavating, Inc. on March 24.
The University Line will improve accessibility and safety throughout the corridor. The project includes new sidewalks, ADA ramps, protected bike lanes, traffic signals, and landscaping.
Communities with PRTX service can expect increased reliability, on-time performance, and high-frequency service thanks to transit-only travel lanes and upgraded amenities like new shelters with real-time arrival screens