Residents, bus riders speak out as South Busway bridge closure causes frustration

PITTSBURGH — The narrow neighborhood streets of Beechview have become an unconventional bus route.

The Port Authority was forced to indefinitely close its bridge over Saw Mill Run Boulevard in Mount Washington, after the bridge shifted. The Port Authority says water got into a part of the concrete support structure and freezing temperatures caused the water to expand, creating the gap.

>>STORY: Port Authority releases cause of South Busway bridge shifting

Now, buses detour through Beechview, and not all neighbors are pleased.

“There aren’t too many ways around here in Beechview except to stay on the streets and hope you can make the turn,” neighbor and bus rider Bill Askin tells Channel 11 News.

A bus took out a neighbor’s retaining wall and snapped a pipe in the process while trying to make the turn from Sebring Avenue onto Dagmar Avenue.

“If a bus is coming up when a bus is going down, there’s no way they can go past,” Askin adds. “A couple days there have been big crowds getting off the bus and huge crowds getting on the trolly to downtown.”

While this is frustrating for some neighbors, bus riders say it’s not ideal for them either.

“The worst thing about this is having to get in line to go through the Liberty Tunnel intersection,” Askin adds. “You have to wait on West Liberty Avenue and it’s long for everyone.”

The Port Authority says the bridge is stable but will remain closed for several weeks for repairs, sharing the following statement:

“Unfortunately, the current shuttle bus detour is the only way that we’re able to continue to serve out riders while we work to repair the bridge. Our engineering department is currently working on a bridge repair timeline, which we expect to release next week.”

Detours: Port Authority closes bridge on South Busway after engineers find part of it shifted

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