Pittsburgh residents concerned about safety after Bigelow Boulevard pedestrian tunnel is closed

PITTSBURGH — PennDOT says the Bigelow Boulevard pedestrian tunnel at Herron Avenue is permanently closed after a recent car crash left it unsafe.

Pedestrians will now have to cross at the crosswalk but PennDOT says it has taken steps to make it safe.

The constant flow of traffic along Bigelow Boulevard in Pittsburgh’s Polish Hill neighborhood is just one concern for drivers and those who live and work nearby.

“It’s a very, very busy street,” said Patrick Whelan of Polish Hill. “People drive really fast on that road too.”

Whelan owns Snaggletooth Tattoo nearby. He said he was surprised to see the tunnel that walkers used to cross under the busy five-point intersection, has now been filled with cement.

“It smelled gross, but it was definitely essential to get across the street safely,” he said. “I don’t know why they did that.”

PennDOT permanently sealed off the tunnel late last week after a spokesperson said a recent car crash there made it unsafe.

In a statement, PennDOT said if crews simply fixed the tunnel, it wouldn’t have met ADA requirements.

People now have to use the crosswalk above the Bigelow Boulevard underpass, which Nicole Haney, PennDOT’s community relations coordinator, said has been fixed to give pedestrians more time to cross the street. She also said for added safety, all cars at the intersection will now be stopped while the pedestrian phase is active.

“PennDOT recently closed the Bigelow Boulevard pedestrian tunnel at Herron Avenue permanently due to an unsafe condition caused by a vehicle crash,” Haney said in a statement. “Investments to restore the safety of the tunnel would not accommodate ADA requirements. The department worked with the City of Pittsburgh to ensure the signals are working properly, including the pedestrian phase, for all individuals to be able to safely cross at the existing crosswalk.”

Haney also said PennDOT repainted the crosswalks.

Some drivers, however, don’t think it’s enough. Graffiti above the closed tunnel reads, “Do better!”

“Them filling that tunnel with cement is incredibly dumb, and this intersection is super dangerous,” said Kellen Malone of Polish Hill.

Drivers claim crashes happen there often. Last year, Whelan said he rushed to help after a truck veered off the boulevard and crashed into the tunnel.

“Now they want people to be walking across the street exposed to it...doesn’t seem like a good idea,” said Whelan.

Work to fill the tunnel with concrete began Monday, Feb. 5, and was finished last week.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

©2024 Cox Media Group