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An aerial view of the Downtown Pittsburgh skyline and Point State Park with the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers forming the Ohio River in an April 10, 2018 file photo.
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Busy Downtown boulevard to become a summer pop-up park and arts destination

Darrell Sapp/Post-Gazette

Busy Downtown boulevard to become a summer pop-up park and arts destination

A portion of the Fort Duquesne Boulevard will be closed to traffic this summer as the street transforms into a pop-up outdoor arts venue and park, kicking off with the Three Rivers Arts Festival.

The city announced Thursday that the boulevard’s westbound lane from Stanwix to Seventh streets will be closed beginning Monday through Oct. 7.

The normally busy lane will become home to the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership’s Allegheny Overlook Pop-up Park. The partnership is dubbing it the “AO.”

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“This is a unique opportunity to create a one-of-a-kind temporary park-like experience that leverages one of Pittsburgh’s most iconic views, and has been made possible due to reduced traffic volumes, that are significantly lower than ever before. Plans are also in place to manage traffic flow as volumes increase or additional events occur,” said Richard Hooper, the partnership’s vice president of marketing and communications.

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The city is instructing drivers to follow the westbound detour from Seventh Street to Penn Avenue to Stanwix Street during the closure.

Eastbound traffic should be unaffected by the closure.

The pop-up park will host the Arts Festival’s Riverside Stage throughout the event’s 10-day run that begins June 4. The stage will feature up to three acts each day, including live music and dance performances.

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For the first time in 62 years, the festival will move from its traditional location at Point State Park and instead be held on an eight-block stretch in the city’s Cultural District.

Other events and activities planned for the pop-up park will be announced as they are confirmed.

“The ‘AO’ is just one of many outdoor activations the PDP has planned for the coming year – which continue to provide the safest choices for the community,” Mr. Hooper said, adding that bi-weekly yoga has returned to Market Square, outdoor dining will be expanded and live entertainment and the Saturday Night Market will return to Market Square in late June.

Ashley Murray: amurray@post-gazette.com 

First Published: May 6, 2021, 8:03 p.m.
Updated: May 10, 2021, 10:49 a.m.

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An aerial view of the Downtown Pittsburgh skyline and Point State Park with the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers forming the Ohio River in an April 10, 2018 file photo.  (Darrell Sapp/Post-Gazette)
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