Suspected asbestos discovered inside Pittsburgh’s Traffic Division Building

PITTSBURGH — The home of the city of Pittsburgh’s Traffic Division is shut down after the likely discovery of cancer-causing materials inside.

The Mayor’s Chief of Staff told Channel 11 that on Wednesday, public works crews were repairing a hole in the ground of the building, located on Liberty Avenue in the Strip District. Dan Gilman said crews were ventilating the site, and as they were digging, they found what appeared to be asbestos.

“This is what happens when the city does not invest, historically, over the last several decades in our facilities, in our fleet,” Gilman said.

This city-owned property is a part of the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) that houses the city’s paint shop and other public works equipment.

“So when holes develop, unfortunately, we realize these things. We need to be proactive and aggressively addressing our facilities and our fleet and the old infrastructure of the city,” Gilman said.

This discovery comes just weeks after city council members vowed to invest in the city’s aging fleet, telling Channel 11 in December that there were not enough trucks to adequately remove snow. At the time, then-public works director Chris Hornstein told Channel 11 conditions were so rough, the city lost 10 percent of its fleet due to maintenance issues.

“What ultimately happens is you have these types of setbacks, and the public is the one who feels it – when we can’t have all of our equipment, all of our crews operating at 100 percent,” Gilman said.

Some council members estimated that it will take $20 million a year to get the fleet to where it needs to be.

As for this most recent finding, Gilman said city officials immediately cleared the building and moved everyone out as environmental testing is conducted. We saw property restoration trucks outside of the building Thursday afternoon.

“We’re looking for new spaces to put employees, in the meantime, and safely get out whatever equipment we can,” Gilman said.

Councilman Bobby Wilson told Channel 11 over the phone he’s glad swift action was taken in this situation. He also wants to see many of these older properties evaluated, saying the city needs to either invest in or sell aging buildings.

Channel 11 asked the Mayor’s Office what, if any, impact this will have on the city’s public works schedule. We’re told no projects will be delayed.

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