Temporary Trail Closure to begin June 21^st on South Side Trail

This is a repost of a press release from Friends of the Riverfront

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – (June 11, 2010) A temporary Trail closure will soon begin along a portion of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail as part of the Pennsylvania American Water’s Becks Run Pumping Station Replacement Project. The Trail closure will be in place starting June 21, 2010 through early spring 2011. The 1.5–mile portion of the Trail being affected runs roughly from Water Street at the Steelers practice facility to the dead end of the Trail adjacent to the Glenwood Bridge. Signs will soon alert Trail users to the closure and note that the Trail will be open and usable every weekend during the project from Friday at 4:30 through Sunday evenings.

Thomas Baxter, Director, of Friends of the Riverfront stated, “It’s unfortunate to close the Trail for several months during the week, but we are pleased that Pennsylvania American Water will open it on the weekends and restore the Trail completely. Both the City of Pittsburgh and Urban Redevelopment Authority agreed to a quick schedule of nine months, largely during the winter, and repeatedly stressed that this project has to be done and is imperative for our region’s safe drinking water. I’m happy that they understand the need to complete this project quickly before the last section of the Great Allegheny Passage is open. Once that happens, another closure will be almost impossible.”

Pennsylvania American Water will be making upgrades to its intake structure located along the trail on the Monongahela River. These upgrades will necessitate the use of the trail by construction vehicles and create a potentially unsafe situation for trail users during project work hours.

“We understand that closing several miles of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail will cause some inconvenience, but we have worked closely with all the partners, including the City of Pittsburgh, Urban Redevelopment Authority and Friends of the Riverfront, to ensure the safety of trail users and the timely completion of the project,” said Pennsylvania American Water External Affairs Manger Gary Lobaugh.

Additional details on the Becks Run Project in relation to the Three Rivers Heritage are available on the Trail Status Page at www.friendsoftheriverfront.org keyword PA American Water.