Port Authority of Allegheny County to begin rail replacement in March

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
image description

The Port Authority of Alleghany County plans to replace nearly a mile of aging and deteriorating light-rail tracks and street pavement in Beechview, Pa., beginning in March.

 

The tracks carry the Red Line, which provides service to about 12,000 daily riders between the South Hills, Downtown and the North Shore. The section being replaced has reached the end of its useful life and has required 22 costly repairs since 2008 to keep it open.

The authority will shut down a section of the Red Line for six months beginning March 27 to replace the embedded tracks and street pavement in the center lanes of Broadway Avenue.

“We must repair the track and concrete now or these conditions will worsen and cause more intrusive service disruptions for the thousands of people who rely on the Red Line each day,” said authority Chief Executive Officer Ellen McLean.

The project has been cut from two construction seasons to one construction season. This means the community and customers will be impacted for six months instead of 18 months since the work zone would have remained in place through the winter months.

In addition, the port authority will provide a financial incentive for the contractor to finish ahead of schedule.

 

Tags: