PITTSBURGH —
A busy intersection near the Bloomfield Bridge is set to receive long-overdue upgrades.
“It’s terrifying. It’s terrifying. And it has been for decades,” said Councilmember Deb Gross, District 7, describing the intersection that welcomes drivers exiting the Bloomfield Bridge.
After years of concerns, the intersection where Main Street and Liberty Avenue meet will see changes designed to improve pedestrian safety.
What’s to come
“Some of the stuff that we’re looking at doing at that intersection are shortening crossing distances so that pedestrians don’t have to cross as far across as many lanes to go where they want to go, sort of centralizing the transit stops around that intersection, ” said Jan Raether, Infrastructure Engagement manager for the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure.
Bike infrastructure is also part of the planned upgrades, with Raether saying, “It’s also part of our bike network to look at opportunities to connect some bike intersection or bike connections through that intersection.”
City council introduced an agreement to unlock $2.3 million in grant funding for the upgrades. Gross said the total cost of the project is expected to be around $3.5 million.
“It is like a highway. It’s a highway, and there are little kids trying to cross. There are seniors trying to cross. It’s a five-way intersection. There is no reason for it to be constructed for high-speed cars when they’re hurting people,” Gross said, emphasizing the urgency of the improvements.
When asked about the possibility of a roundabout, Raether said, “It might have been something that was considered early on. I know it’s something that people have suggested on social media, but it’s not currently something that’s on the table.”
DOMI officials said there are still several steps to complete before construction can begin, but they are projecting the project to start within the next few years.
Download the WTAE app to stay connected with breaking news. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news in your inbox.