Pedestrians heading for Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s South Hills Junction may want to leave a little early for the next five months while the agency is making improvements to the multipurpose station.
Because of the work, the agency will be occasionally closing some access points and relocating some bus stops. The work will involve rehabilitating retaining walls, improving lighting and building a new ADA-accessible bus stop along the South Busway, plus additional repairs.
Although an exact date hasn’t been set, the work will begin once the contractor has equipment in place later this month. It should be finished by the end of January. Mele & Mele & Sons Inc. has a $6.3 million contract for the project.
Light rail vehicles and buses will continue to serve the station, but pedestrian entry points could be closed from time to time during the work. The project will be done in five phases and access points could change with each phase.
Most of the construction will be done during the day, but there could be some overnight work along the way. The agency said pedestrian detours will be highly visible and clearly marked.
South Hills Junction is an important facility for PRT not only because it serves all three light rail routes and four bus routes, but it also has an employee parking lot and space to store rock salt for winter use.
Ed covers transportation at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at eblazina@unionprogress.com.