Sidewalk Installation to Continue at Sixth Avenue and Diamond Street Downtown

PRT’s contractor has begun pouring new concrete sidewalk at Sixth Avenue and Diamond Street, adjacent to the Allegheny County Family Division Building.

Concrete can only be poured at temperatures greater than 40 degrees, so the contractor set up a heated tent to maintain the required temperature for the concrete to cure.

Crews are also working to install new curbs and sidewalk across the street at Sixth Avenue and Fifth Avenue, adjacent to Duquesne University’s Liebermann Hall.

When construction is complete, the intersection at Fifth and Sixth avenues will be modernized to include ADA compliant curb ramps and cross walks, new traffic signals and lighting, accessible pedestrian signals with push button activators, and illuminated pedestrian countdown signals. The sidewalks will be expanded and more accessible.

Construction fencing is expected to remain in place until spring. A portion of the sidewalk will remain open to pedestrians.

Exploratory Excavation to Begin at Forbes Avenue and McKee Place Next Week

Weather permitting, PRT’s contractor will begin exploratory excavation on Forbes Avenue at McKee Place Monday, February 3^rd.

The existing water main must be relocated before the contractor can begin installing the new PRTX station.

This work will close two travel lanes and the sidewalk adjacent to the HERE Pittsburgh apartment building. Work will be performed overnight between 8:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. to minimize the disruption to traffic. Traffic restrictions will be removed during the day.

Work is expected to take several weeks.

Inspection of Drainage Infrastructure Has Begun in Uptown and Oakland

PRT’s contractor has started inspecting underground drainage infrastructure using CCTV technology in Uptown and Oakland.

Inspection crews will work Monday through Friday at the following locations:

Sewer inspections will require a partial lane closure providing access to the manhole and/or catch basin on or near the curb. Traffic restrictions will be removed at night.

The inspection is performed with a small robot on wheels, similar to a remote-control car with a camera attached. The robot is lowered into the drain where it sends live video back to the operator who is watching the video in a nearby van. 

The CCTV crew will move between the locations listed above to inspect all the drainage infrastructure within the phase II project limits along Fifth and Forbes avenues.

PRT’s contractor is also continuing to identify and mark the locations where new traffic signals will be placed. This work is being done in coordination with the City of Pittsburgh’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure.

About 40 intersections along the corridor will be upgraded with new traffic signals and lighting, accessible pedestrian signals with push button activators, and illuminated pedestrian countdown signals. 

These preconstruction activities are expected to take a few months to complete.

Construction Locations for the University Line in Downtown ​ 

PRT’s contractor has seven major work zones in downtown Pittsburgh. Five of the locations will be PRTX stations (highlighted in green) and the other two locations are safety improvement zones (highlighted in blue).

When construction for the University Line is complete, there will be five new PRTX stations:

In addition to the five stations, there are two safety improvement sites at: 

​ 6. Sixth Avenue (between Fifth Avenue and Diamond Street) 

​ 7. Sixth Avenue (between Smithfield Street and William Penn Place) 

Both locations will have new expanded sidewalks with granite curbs and accessible ramps improving safety and accessibility along the corridor.

To learn more about each of the current construction locations, please visit our Construction Locations web page.

Thank you for your continued support of this project.

For questions or concerns, please contact brt@rideprt.org or 412-442-2000.