PITTSBURGH, PA — Pittsburgh officials broke ground Tuesday on a reconstruction of Smithfield Street intended to modernize the downtown corridor between Liberty Avenue and Fort Pitt Boulevard.
The first phase will rebuild Smithfield Street from Forbes Avenue to Sixth Avenue. City officials said that phase is expected to take 18 to 24 months.
Plans call for a complete roadway reconstruction, wider sidewalks, new curbs, pedestrian-safety bump-outs, updated signs and pavement markings, landscaping, and infrastructure for improved lighting. The existing transit-only lane will remain in place.
The city described the project as a major piece of downtown reinvestment and an outgrowth of the Downtown Mobility Plan developed with the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership and Department of City Planning. Future phases are expected to extend south to Fort Pitt Boulevard and north to Liberty Avenue.
Federal sources are providing 80% of the project funding, with local sources covering 20%, according to the city. GFT Infrastructure is handling design and engineering, Merante Contracting is performing construction, and Michael Baker International is managing construction.
Official source: City of Pittsburgh
Representative file photo: Kaufmann’s Clock on Smithfield Street. CC0 image by Cbaile19 via Wikimedia Commons.
The Pittsburgh Times
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