East Busway Rebuilding Begins This Week

Starting this week, Port Authority of Allegheny County will begin rebuilding nearly seven miles of the Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway.

This week, contractors will begin raising drainage inlets on the shoulder of the busway. Work will be conducted on weekdays during daylight hours, approximately 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., opposite the dominant flow of traffic during peak periods. This work should not affect bus traffic during the week of June 28.

During the week of July 5, intermittent single-lane closures of up to 2,000 feet may occur. During those times, flaggers will be stationed on the busway to let alternating traffic through during the closure. Related delays are expected to be limited in nature. Work will begin at the Downtown end of the busway and move east to Wilkinsburg.

Inlet work is expected to last through July 12, at which time paving will begin. More extensive delays or detours may occur at this time. More details on the second phase will be released prior to the start of work.

Other East Busway improvements will include barrier and guide rail repair, and improvement to sidewalks and curb-cuts.

The work is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2010, and will help prevent wear-and-tear on the approximately 800 buses that use the busway everyday as well as create a much smoother commute for the busway's 25,000 daily riders. This project will span the length of the original busway, which opened in 1983. The easternmost section between Wilkinsburg and Swissvale stations does not need to be rebuilt, having opened in 2003.

The rebuilding project will cost $7.5 M dollars and is included in Port Authority's FY2010 capital budget, which ensures annual maintenance needs are met and the Authority's system is kept in a state of good repair.