I-579 'cap' project remains on schedule despite pandemic; 1st concrete slabs set into place

Construction of a “cap” linking the Hill District to Downtown Pittsburgh remains on schedule despite restrictions necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic, PennDOT officials said Wednesday.

The nearly $30 million I-579 Urban Connector, known as the I-579 “Cap,” is still on pace to open in 2022, according to PennDOT.

The first of the 8-inch concrete slabs needed to create a bridge deck upon which a park will be built was put into place July 23, said Jason Zang, assistant district executive for construction. That came after 126 concrete beams had to be stood up to create the foundation of the cap.

“We don’t build a lot of bridges that hold parks over top of them,” he said. “It’s just the nature of what the structure is intended to do. It’s a lot of beams.”

The result will be a three-acre park bordered by Bigelow Boulevard, Centre Avenue, Chatham Street and Washington Place. The park will include walking and bicycling paths, displays of Hill District history, artwork by local artists and rain gardens.

Upgrades also will be made to existing retaining walls, roads, drainage, traffic signals, lighting and landscaping.

Lane restrictions remain in place around the construction site.

Single-lane restrictions will be in place on southbound I-579 between the Bedford Avenue and Webster Avenue bridges from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday nights, said Yasmeen Manyisha, a spokeswoman for PennDOT. Lane restrictions on the northbound lanes have been lifted.

Manyisha noted that work has continued with pandemic-related protocols in place, such as social distancing, face masks and cleaning protocols. She said the number of people allowed into the worksite has had to be limited. She did not elaborate.

Zang said crews had been ahead of schedule, but progress ground to a halt during a shutdown meant to stem the tide of the pandemic.