BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

I don't bike down there regularly, but I would try: Forest Ave, R on West Run Rd, R on Interboro Ave, L on Mifflin Rd, becomes Buttermilk Hollow Rd, becomes Lebanon Church Rd.

I think I would go this way if I was going to the actual airport. https://goo.gl/maps/jzjRNkMXmVS2 885 isn't all that bad since it has a decent shoulder most of the way even if it is a pretty good climb, Just be very careful at the runway tunnel on top of the hill since cars have a hard time seeing you with the transition from light to dark even if you are running a blinkie. Lebanon Church road is a divided highway with no shoulder on both sides of the airport so I would avoid that by going through Century III complex which gets you there without having to take the lane with 55MPH traffic.

Ironically I explored this area for the first time last week. Went up Ravine/Homestead-Duq/Brierly (eh) and Forest/West Run (okay). Came down Streets Run/Baldwin and Mifflin, which seemed fine in that direction, tho Streets had a lot of angled RR crossings, which required me to dance with car traffic to hit 'em perpendicular. From Interboro (good road), I rode Buttermilk & Leb Church to get across to Streets Run, and it was absolutely NOT for the fainthearted: up and down hills, lots of high-speed traffic, two lanes no shoulder, rough cement surface, and the east-west alignment means solar visibility problems. Exceedingly ugly and dangerous. Agree with Mirko that circling around to Camp Hollow is the best way to the actual airport (or other roads for other destinations along Leb Church).

I have been taking nearly that same route since 2008ish on my way to work at CCAC. I agree with Marko. If I were doing it everyday for the airport specifically, I might explore the main st through homestead/buttermilk route, as it might save some minutes, which adds up over time, but it's really a choose your poison kind of situation. 885 isn't really bad, but you're going to have 18 wheelers, dumptrucks, and buses constantly passing you on your left. I can't recall a time I've been passed too closely in recent memory, it's just noisy and not as great as being on the GAP. If you ever wanted a riding buddy, I could join you on the way over sometime

I lived in west mifflin for 4 years. Anywhere near Lebanon Church road is a mess. This is the way I would go. There is a tiny sidewalk on this section of Lebanon Church road. I would take that and be extremely careful. I have done this a few times. It's not fun but, it is doable if you are very careful. https://www.google.com/maps/dir/The+Waterfront,+149+West+Bridge+St,+Homestead,+PA+15120,+United+States/40.3509043,-79.9271076/@40.3793007,-79.9237903,13.58z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m10!1m1!1s0x8834ee27c93515f1:0x24e1a11f2e2d1aeb!2m2!1d-79.9168359!2d40.4077655!3m4!1m2!1d-79.9149168!2d40.399425!3s0x8834ee2ba27ca477:0xac884b339e21c4e8!1m0!3e1?hl=en

If you aren't super pressed for time (this takes me about 45ish min I think), you can go out the GAP trail to McKeesport, get on the steel valley route, and then cross the sidewalk on the mansfield bridge, go through Dravosburg and down to the bottom of the abandoned Curry Hollow road and climb up. This will put you right next to the Holiday Inn by the airport. This my preferred route because there is little traffic. You might find it a little sketchy but I have never had a problem. Pavement is rough and washed out in places. Because the road is closed, google maps won't let me complete the route but from where this ends, you would just go between the barriers and up the hill. http://tinyurl.com/p3gy8cs I personally will not ride up 885 except on rare occasion but I do ride down. I find it terrifying to go up. If you don't have as much time, t his ride is a good way from the waterfront to the airport but you will need to ride on a sidewalk with glass in place. I use gatorskins and don't have problem. http://tinyurl.com/nm5d49h To go back to the waterfront, I would go down 885 by reversing the exact route posted by Marko. Another fun route starts like Marko's instead of turning right at 885, go straight just a little bit on Mifflin Rd and climb up Mooney Rd on the left. It is also closed to traffic. Turn right on Lindenberg and right on Interboro then left on Mifflin Rd. Then right on Lebanon Church and you have to take the sidewalk of glass again to the airport.