Petra International Ministries’ Elder Jim Balthrop has been working with the church for 30 years.

For those 30 years, Balthrop has listened to the worries and complaints of his parishioners about the state of East Hills Drive, a road that connects Penn Hills to Pittsburgh’s East Hills neighborhood.

Since 1995, the road had become known for its pockmarked, trash-strewn lanes.

That changed Tuesday morning as Petra’s leaders and local lawmakers unveiled a newly paved road.

“The challenge was that we owned this particular street, and therefore we had a hard time getting support from the city and from the county,” Balthrop said.

When Petra International Ministries bought the property in 1995, part of East Hills Drive came with it. Balthrop said the church was unable to cover the cost of the paving project.

The access road starts in Pittsburgh at Frankstown Road, passes through Penn Hills — where Petra International Ministries is located — and ends in the city’s heavily residential East Hills neighborhood.

In February, Petra’s nonprofit arm, Tamion Enterprises, was awarded a $250,000 state grant to repair its dilapidated stretch of the road. A fence was added, too, to combat frequent illegal dumping in the area.

State Rep. Joe McAndrew, D-Penn Hills, said when he was elected in 2023, Pittsburgh’s District 9 councilman, Khari Mosley, approached him about repairing the road.

After seeing the state the road was in, McAndrew reached out to Pittsburgh’s leadership and made an agreement.

“While we were able to fund this, the city of Pittsburgh, in return, paved Verona Boulevard,” McAndrew said. “It was two birds, one stone.”

Verona Boulevard connects Mount Carmel Road to Lincoln Road. It was paved several months ago.

“I think that this shows that we’re willing to collaborate together,” McAndrew said.

Overall, the entire process to pave East Hills Drive took about two to three years.

During the ribbon-cutting, McAndrew; Mosley, Balthrop; Rep. La’Tasha D. Mayes, D-Pittsburgh; Twanda Carlisle, a representative from Jay Costa’s office; and Petra International Ministries Bishop Donald Clay all spoke about what the project meant to them and what it means for the communities at large.

“It’s a new entrance into East Hills, which is prophetically saying, it’s time for a new East Hills,” Clay said. “We’re super excited to be a part of this.”

Carlisle, a resident of the East Hills neighborhood, saw the road as a connection between East Hills and Penn Hills. Mosley called the project a “collaboration through time.” He said the project has been advocated for by lawmakers and council people years before he was elected.

“This road represents hope,” Mayes said. “This road represents the power of community organizing and never ever giving up on the goals we seek to achieve.”

Community leaders Diane I. Daniels, executive director of East Hills Consensus, and Penn Hills Deputy Mayor Cathy Sapp also attended the event.

“I can’t tell you what a blessing it’s been,” Balthrop said.

Balthrop said the repaired road has produced a lot of positive feedback from parisioners and community members who use it to get to the nearby Imani Christian Academy. He said the road’s reopening also helps the church create a safer traffic pattern after services because two exits are now available for drivers.

“It’s really heartfelt for me to be able to — in my time period — see this road done,” Balthrop said. “I was praying that it would get done before I resigned or retired. God moved and it happened. I can’t tell you how happy I am.”

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