The Port Authority of Allegheny County has expedited a rehabilitation project at Fallowfield Station in Pittsburgh’s Beechview neighborhood. The work at the station is being accelerated due to the unexpected suspension of portions of the Red Line following the discovery that a shift had occurred at the Saw Mill Run Boulevard bridge.
The work will include repairing the concrete platforms and metal railings, replacing tactile pads, refurbishing overhead canopies and painting various areas of the station. Crews will work weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., although weekends may be used as make-up days. The work is expected to take about 60 days.
Port Authority’s board in 2021 approved a total of $10.8 million to complete the project, which includes work on a total of 18 high platform light-rail stations. The authority had been planning to begin the project this spring but is taking advantage of the closure of Fallowfield Station to complete the work early and with fewer disruptions to service.
"Starting this work on [Feb. 14] gives us the rare opportunity to work on a station while it's not in use, which also means we won't have to close it again later this year," said David Huffaker, Port Authority's chief development officer. "This means we will inconvenience residents and riders as little as possible, and hopefully not at all."
The agency is also seeking to identify other stations where it may be possible to take further advantage of the bridge outage by beginning work early. Should any other work be scheduled, the authority will provide more advanced notice.
Port Authority closed the Saw Mill Run Boulevard Bridge on Feb. 4 when an employee noticed a joint on the deck of the bridge had shifted to an abnormal position. Last week, engineers determined the bridge shifted after water had penetrated a concrete portion of the bridge and froze during a winter weather storm. The bridge remains stable but will remain closed until repairs are made. A repair timeline will be announced next week.
In the meantime, Port Authority is operating a rail shuttle between Overbrook Junction and Potomac Station and a bus shuttle between Potomac Station and Station Square. Both are operating every 20 to 30 minutes.
