I-579 long-term ramp closures begin Saturday

Starting early Saturday morning, two Downtown Pittsburgh ramps to southbound I-579 will close for the next 140 days.

The Bedford Avenue ramp and 7th Avenue ramp will be closed until May 23, according to PennDOT.

The closures are part of the I-579 “Cap” Union Connector project on a mile-and-a-half stretch of highway also known as Crosstown Boulevard.

Crews will begin construction of the last pier and columns, relocate the drainage to each ramp and reconstruct the pavement. Detours to the Boulevard of the Allies/Eastbound I-376 and to the Liberty Bridge will be posted.

In addition, southbound I-579 will have a single-lane closure from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. Crews will relocate a temporary barrier and continue line striping operations.

The 700-day closure of the ramp from Northbound I-579 to 7th Avenue began in September and will continue through Aug. 6, 2022.

The work is part of a $29 million project, which consists of the building of a structure spanning I-579 and linking Downtown and the Hill District.

In part, the Cap project will create a new three-acre greenspace, which will include pedestrian pathways, bicycle routes, rain gardens for stormwater management, and design elements from neighborhood artists, says PennDOT.