Work Begins On CAP Urban Connector Project, Causing A Traffic Headache
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The heavy equipment has arrived to begin work on the CAP Project and for the next two years, traffic around Seventh Avenue, Boulevard of the Allies and I-579 will be shut down or severely restricted.
It will be a $32 million pedestrian park that will connect PPG Paints Arena and the Hill District to the city.
The Seventh Avenue ramp off of the Liberty Bridge and Boulevard of the Allies will close for two years and traffic along I-579 will be closed or restricted for quite some time as well.
"There are 126 concrete beams that have to get lifted with cranes and set over the roadway, so obviously we will have to shut traffic down for that," said Jason Zang, the Assistant District Executive of PennDOT.
It's an ambitious project, building a park over an interstate highway and it also will not be easy.
"Tight, tight quarters, high-speed traffic, our crews are going to be down there, the contractor is going to be right up against traffic," added Zang.
Here's how to detour around the closure:
Reminder: Northbound I-579 ramp to 7th Ave will be closing tonight at 8 p.m. through August 2021! Here is the posted detour. @KDKA pic.twitter.com/oK3Wyo3OmH
— Celina Pompeani (@CelinaPompeani) September 6, 2019
The project is mostly funded through federal dollars and when it's done the city and the Sports and Exhibition Authority will own it.
The hope is that the park will spur the long-promised development near PPG Paints Arena where the Civic Arena used to stand and serve as a connector between the Hill District and the city.
"It'll feel like a tunnel from below, on top, it's going to be a beautiful park with sidewalks and an amphitheater," Zang said. "A really nice community enhancement."