Port Authority: Station Square T Stop Expected To Reopen In 3-4 Weeks
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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- South Hills commuters who ride the T will be detoured through Allentown into September.
The Port Authority of Allegheny County says the Station Square station is tentatively expected to reopen in three to four weeks.
When tons of Norfolk Southern freight and rail cars fell from the elevated tracks above Station Square and onto the Port Authority's tracks and supporting concrete on Aug. 5, nothing was spared.
"There will be some repairs made over the next week to concrete," says the Port Authority's Adam Brandoff. "We're going to have to replace 1,600 feet of track and 4,000 feet of power lines that power the rail cars."
So as you can probably guess by now, Brandoff says this will not be a quick fix, "Right now, we're anticipating three to four weeks before the Station Square T station is reopened."
That means up to 40,000 riders will continue to be detoured through the Allentown street tracks, extending commute times, "15 up to 35 minutes," says Brandoff.
Meanwhile, to get the Station Square station up and running quicker, it will be necessary to impact the work of trying to restore the Library or Blue Line.
Brandoff says, "We are actually pulling some workers off the Blue Line to work on Station Square, this is our priority."
The Library Line was knocked out by flooding on June 21. In several areas, the rail bed under the tracks was completely washed away, leaving railroad ties suspended in the air.
Brandoff says they had hopes to have the Library line reopened by Sept. 1, but now, "I would say mid-September."
While the work is continuing, parking will continue to be free at the South Hills Village Port Authority Parking Garage so Library line riders can park and ride the T into town from there. Brandoff says it's the least they can do for the inconvenience.
Riders with questions can call Port Authority Customer Service at (412) 442-2000 or (412) 231-7007 for TTY.