By Sean P. Ray | Managing Editor

DOMI details E. Ohio St. improvement plans

At an Aug. 8 public meeting at Allegheny Center Alliance Church, Pittsburgh’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) presented some of the planned possible improvements for East Ohio Street between Chestnut Street and Cedar Avenue.

The draft plan included improvements across multiple categories, ranging from increasing pedestrian safety to improving traffic flow on the road.

For example, the plan calls for extending sidewalk curbs and installing raised crosswalks to make things safer for pedestrians.

One major change will involve how stop lights function along the corridor. Pedestrians will be given a few seconds to begin making a crossing before parallel traffic is allowed to begin moving, lowering chances for conflicts with turning vehicles.

The plan also calls for the installation of pedestrian refuge islands in some sections of the road.

A beautification effort will also be undertaken, and businesses along the corridor will be given the option to have the parking space in front of their building instead utilized as outdoor seating.

There is also a proposal to make Middle Street a one-way road heading toward East Ohio Street, and Nash Street a one-way road heading toward Avery Street and Lockhart Avenue. The aim of these changes is to prevent the use of those roads by drug dealers and sellers, as the existing traffic structure enables them to be used as an easy loop and discreet meeting place, DOMI officials explained.

Dedicated bike facilities and bike parking spaces are also under consideration.

The City of Pittsburgh has secured a $1.5 million grant from Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission’s Transportation Set-Aside fund. Final costs for the project, however, are currently not known as the plan is still in draft form.

Under DOMI’s timeline, the department will complete the plan in the fall, with preliminary engineering and a final design readied sometime in 2025. Construction is not set to begin until 2026.

For more information on the project, visit the project’s Engage page on engage.pittsburghpa.gov

Allegheny Arts announces first project

Allegheny Arts, an organization which launched in January with the aim of improving East Ohio Street through art, has announced the start of work on the group’s first mural.

In an Aug. 20 press release, Allegheny Arts announced a partnership with Allegheny Center Alliance Church to paint a 58-foot high by 72-feet long mural of Martin Luther King Jr. on the church facing Martin Luther King Elementary School. The mural will overlook Allegheny Commons North Park.

The message “Following Jesus in a Diverse Community” will be prominently displayed as part of the mural.

Painting began on Aug. 13 and will finish sometime in September. The public is encouraged to visit the site and watch the work in progress.

For more information, contact Allegheny Arts Executive Artist Kyle Holbrook at (724) 531-2184 or email him at kyle@mlkmural.com

Supply chain issues may delay Davis Ave. bridge opening

The opening of the new Davis Avenue bike and pedestrian bridge to Riverview Park may come under delay due to supply chain issues for rolled steel.

According to an Aug. 23 update on the project’s Engage page, available at engage.pittsburghpa.gov/davis-avenue-bridge, fabrication of the steel which will make up the bridge’s truss was delayed, with an anticipated delivery of the end of October.

“The contractor is prepared to install the truss immediately, but the late delivery date may push crucial concrete and roadway work into Spring 2025,” the update reads.

The project was initially aiming for completion in the fall of 2024. While the truss work is delayed, the update also stated that work on the bridge’s substructure — such as two new concrete piers and the refurbishment of existing masonry abutments — is “nearly complete.” Work is now focused on removing old roadbed and stabilizing ground on Riverview Drive and the construction of new sidewalks on Davis Avenue.

The bridge is replacing a vehicular crossing which was torn down in 2009, and will serve to directly connect Brighton Heights with Riverview Park.