​

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing the reopening of two ramps on the I-579 “Cap” Urban Connector project in the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, will occur Friday morning, July 3.

The ramps from 7th Avenue and Bedford Avenue to southbound I-579 will reopen to traffic at 6 a.m. Friday morning. The ramps were closed on January 4 to allow crews to conduct the construction of the last pier and columns, relocate the drainage to each ramp, and reconstruct the pavement

Single-lane closures will occur on the ramps as work continues on the overall project. Additional details will be provided prior to the restrictions being implemented.

The $29.34 million project, sponsored by the City of Pittsburgh and the Sports and Exhibition Authority, consists of the construction of a structure spanning I-579 to link downtown Pittsburgh and the Hill District. In part, the Cap project will create a new three-acre greenspace which will include pedestrian pathways, bicycle routes, rain gardens for stormwater management, and design elements from neighborhood artists. Additional construction activities include retrofitting existing retaining walls and bridges to accommodate the new structure, roadway reconstruction, drainage improvements, traffic signals, highway lighting, ITS, and landscaping. For additional details on the project including information on sustainability, funding, and public input please visit http://www.pgh-sea.com/LHR-i579cap.htm.

The Joseph B. Fay Company is the prime contractor.

Work on this project will be in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and state Department of Health guidance as well as a project-specific COVID-19 safety plan, which will include protocols for social distancing, use of face coverings, personal and job-site cleaning protocols, management of entries to the jobsite, and relevant training.

To help keep motorists informed as work progresses, PennDOT has created an email distribution list for I-579 Crosstown Boulevard traffic advisories and construction updates. Enroll by sending email addresses to stcowan@pa.gov. Please write “Subscribe – I-579 Cap Project” in the subject line.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 950 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

MEDIA CONTACT: Steve Cowan, 412-429-5010

# # #