Work continues on Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s new University Line, causing lane closures, detours

PITTSBURGH — Driving around Downtown Pittsburgh you’ll notice detour signs and lane closures as Pittsburgh Regional Transit moves forward with construction of its University Line.

“It’s been a long, inconvenient couple months,” said bus rider, Sophia Washington.

For the last few months, traveling on PRT buses takes longer for people coming from Uptown and Oakland to Downtown and vice versa.

“Maybe about 45 minutes earlier than what I’m usually leaving,” said Washington.

Construction continues on Fifth Avenue from Market Street to Liberty Avenue near Triangle Park.

Center lanes and the lanes closest to the park are closed.

Crews are installing water and drainage infrastructure. Buses have to detour. For Washington and so many other riders, this means longer waits to catch a bus.

“It’s cold and I’m outside waiting a long time and it’s just irritating, very irritating,” said Washington.

A second construction work location is just beginning on Sixth Avenue between Grant and Ross streets.

Traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction. Bus detours will remain the same, and pedestrians will have access on both sides of the street.

PRT says the first few days a contractor will be saw-cutting and doing excavation.

The work will go on from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the week and some Saturdays. They expect to be finished by the end of November.

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