U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visiting Pittsburgh; expect traffic delays, road closures

PITTSBURGH — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo will be in Pittsburgh for the inaugural meeting of the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council.

The meeting of the Trade and Technology Council, for which Blinken and Raimondo serve as co-chairs, will be held Wednesday.

Road closures and traffic delays will start Tuesday, when Blinken and Raimondo are expected to arrive, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety.

“Short traffic delays” will occur as the motorcades move around the city, Pittsburgh Public Safety said.

“The traveling public, and those who live and work downtown, should plan for intermittent traffic delays and road closures during the visit of the United States Secretary of State and the Commerce Secretary to Pittsburgh. We encourage everyone to be patient, plan alternate routes, and work a bit of extra time into their commute,” Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Commander Eric Holmes said in a statement.

Raimondo will be in Pittsburgh until Wednesday. Blinken will be in the city through Thursday.

For the duration of Blinken’s stay, Oliver Avenue will be closed from William Penn Place to Grant Street, Pittsburgh Public Safety announced. There will also be parking restrictions in that immediate area.

On Thursday, Blinken will join U.S. and EU co-chairs to visit autonomous driving technology company Argo AI. He will also visit the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Vaccine Research “to highlight the critical role of U.S. innovation in addressing global challenges,” according to the U.S. Department of State. In addition, he will meet with local labor leaders “to discuss the goals and outcomes of the TTC and hear their perspectives on issues such as trade, workforce development, green technology, and the digital economy.”

TRAFFIC: Motorcade delays downtown TRAFFIC: Motorcade delays downtown

©2021 Cox Media Group