Steel Plaza Station entrance on Sixth Avenue to be closed for sidewalk installation beginning Monday October 21

Beginning October 21, Steel Plaza Station entrance on Sixth Avenue at Ross Street will close for one week while PRT’s contractor installs new sidewalk for the University Line.

All other entrances to Steel Plaza Station will remain open. Riders can continue to use the elevator, the entrance on Ross Street near BNY Mellon, and the entrance on Grant Street. 

When construction for the University Line is complete, Steel Plaza Station will have two 60-foot bus shelters with ADA compliant loading zones. Station amenities will include an emergency phone, security camera(s), seating, lighting, and real-time arrival signs.

Traffic is being maintained in both directions adjacent to the work zone. The sidewalk remains open across from the work site.

Construction fencing is expected to remain in place 24/7 until late fall.

Paving and Sidewalk Installation Completed at Market Square Station

PRT’s contractor completed pouring new sidewalks and accessible ramps at Fifth Avenue and Liberty avenues for Market Square Station. The intersection of Fifth and Liberty avenues was paved last weekend.

Granite curbs have been placed and final caulking will be performed later.

In the coming weeks, the contractor will pour a 30-foot concrete slab to support the new bus shelter.

When construction for the University Line is complete, Market Square Station will have a 30-foot bus shelter with an ADA compliant loading zone, new sidewalk, and new curb with accessible ramps. Station amenities will include an emergency phone, security camera(s), seating, lighting, and real-time arrival signs.

Currently, one outbound travel lane is being maintained. The sidewalk remains open across from the work site.

Construction fencing is expected to remain in place 24/7 until late fall.

Traffic Signal Activation to Continue on Fifth and Sixth Avenues Next Week

Traffic signal activation is underway on Fifth Avenue. Electrical crews plan to finish work on Fifth Avenue and begin work on Sixth Avenue next week.

In total, there are 35 new traffic signals along Fifth and Sixth avenues in Downtown Pittsburgh that will be activated over the next few weeks. 

Contractors will work on one intersection at a time. Each of them is expected to take one or two days to complete. Most work will be completed in a parking or travel lane and should have minimal impact to vehicular traffic. 

Traffic signals will be out of service while work is performed, and safety personnel will facilitate traffic at each work location.

At the end of the month, PRT’s contractor will being removing existing line striping on the roadway. The traffic will be reconfigured to accommodate areas with expanded sidewalks and align with new traffic signals.

Temporary paint will be placed for winter traffic conditions.

When construction for the University Line is complete, red paint will be placed, creating a bus-only lane on Fifth and Sixth avenues.

Over the next few weeks, electrical crews will move backwards throughout the downtown loop as follows:

When construction is complete, there will be 35 new traffic signals supporting the new University Line bus rapid transit project in Downtown Pittsburgh.

The old signals and poles will be removed later this fall.

Pedestrian access will always be maintained; however, some work may require the use of the adjacent parking/travel lane.

Construction Locations for the University Line

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 Pace) 

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 the University Line Newshub at prt-brt-newshub.prezly.com/

Thank you for your continued support of this project.

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

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