Commuters who use the Port Authority to get to and from the South Hills will have to put up with construction work on the light rail system for a few extra days.
The authority had expected Michael Facchiano Contracting to finish a $1.8 million project to replace 480 feet of track and concrete between the Mount Washington Transit Tunnel and South Hills Junction by Thursday. But authority spokesman Adam Brandolph said Tuesday the project’s finish would be a few days late while concrete cures.
The work, which has shifted inbound light rail cars to the Allentown line, has caused significant delays for about 10,000 light rail riders and 5,000 bus riders on weekdays and 5,000 light rail and 2,000 bus riders on weekends. That service doesn’t stop at Station Square, so the authority has been operating rail or bus shuttles between the First Avenue Station and Station Square. Those shuttles won't run on Wednesday or Thursday due to construction activity, but inbound riders from Station Square can use the 43, 48, or 51 bus routes on East Carson Street at Smithfield Street and outbound riders from First Avenue can board the 43, 48 or 51 buses at Smithfield Street to get to Station Square.
The work also has caused detours for nine bus routes that use the South Busway.
Riders with questions can call authority’s Customer Service Construction Information Line at 412-566-5544 from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekends.
Ed Blazina: eblazina@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1470 or on Twitter @EdBlazina.
First Published: August 20, 2019, 6:15 p.m.