Pandemic increased pace of I-579 cap project in Pittsburgh, officials say

Tom Davidson, The Tribune-Review, Greensburg
·2 min read

Mar. 31—Building a cap on top of a highway in Downtown Pittsburgh presented its own set of challenges, PennDOT officials said Wednesday.

But the $30 million cap project over Interstate 579, commonly called the Crosstown Expressway, that will link the Hill District to Downtown Pittsburgh actually benefited from the decreased traffic flow and dearth of events at the nearby PPG Paints Arena, Jason Zang, PennDOT's Allegheny County maintenance manager, said.

Although work halted in the early stages of the pandemic, once construction resumed in May the workers were able to make up for lost time, Zang said.

More than 100 beams had to be installed over the highway to support the cap, and they were able to install six beams a night instead of the four per night they had initially planned, Zang said.

The project will create a three-acre park on top of the highway bordered by Bigelow Boulevard, Centre Avenue, Chatham Street and Washington Place. The park will will include pedestrian walkways, recreation spaces and an amphitheater, along with providing a link between Downtown and the Hill District.

The project was planned before the coronavirus pandemic.

Work to build the park — something not normally in PennDOT's purview — will continue this year and should be completed by fall, PennDOT District 11 Executive Cheryl Moon-Sirianni said.

Motorists can expect overnight lane and should restrictions on I-579 through November as retaining walls are retrofitted, lighting is added and landscaping is done, she said.

The project has been planned since 2016, when the Sports and Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County received a $19 million federal grant. The SEA is also contributing about $5 million, with the state paying the remainder of the tab.

The cap is intended to compliment the Penguins' redevelopment of the Lower Hill District site of the former Civic Arena. North Shore-based FNB Corp. intends to build a new 24-story headquarters in that development.

Tom Davidson is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tom at 724-226-4715, tdavidson@triblive.com or via Twitter .