Latrobe will welcome visitors Wednesday to help celebrate completion of downtown infrastructure improvements.

The public also will find retail bargains and art displays throughout the business district as part of an Art Walk event and monthly Shop Hop Night promotion.

Activities begin at 3 p.m., when city officials, merchants and representatives from the Latrobe Community Revitalization Program will gather in the parklet at Ligonier and Main streets for a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

It will mark the completion of traffic light upgrades and repaving of nine downtown intersections. The $3.4 million PennDOT project also included installation of updated curb ramps that comply with handicapped-accessible standards and new decorative crosswalks.

The improvements are in place along Main and Depot streets, where they intersect Jefferson, Ligonier and Alexandria streets; and along Ligonier, at Weldon, Spring and Chestnut streets.

“We’re at the end of most of the construction,” said Jarod Trunzo, executive director of the Latrobe Community Revitalization Program. He noted completion of work on the intersections wraps up a three-year period of improvements. They include replacement of older downtown waterlines by the Latrobe Municipal Authority and PennDOT’s renovation of the Lloyd Avenue bridge that’s a main entrance to town over the Loyalhanna Creek.

“The comments we’ve gotten have been so positive,” Trunzo said of the downtown improvements. “The roads are smooth again and driveable. Everyone is celebrating that.

“It ties together a decade of work on the streetscape, including benches, flowers and streetlights. The new traffic lights just blend everything together nicely.”

Kyle Greene of KGB will perform live jazz selections, sponsored by the revitalization program, while participating merchants welcome shoppers from 4 to 7 p.m. as part of Shop Hop Night.

Shoppers also will discover works by 16 artists associated with the Latrobe Art Center and will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite piece. The pieces will be available for purchase through the art center.

The Art Walk works will be displayed in participating locations, including the art center, Ricolita’s Cafe inside the center, the Greater Latrobe-Laurel Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce visitors center, Chicoras, Rose Style Shoppe, Masterspieces, Eclectique, Terri’s Gourmet Sweet Treats, Blended and Brewed Bakery and Cafe, and 512 Coffee and Ice Cream.

Blended and Brewed will celebrate its opening at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday at 337 Main St., the former location of Emily Pasqualino’s Paper Heart Affairs party supply shop. She’s preparing to expand that business as The Paper Heart Social Goods & Events Studios, at 807 Ligonier St.

Pasqualino coordinates the Shop Hop events.

“The improvements to our downtown have been, at times, tough to endure, but we are so happy with the outcome,” she said. “I have been wanting to orchestrate an Art Walk Shop Hop Night for some time now. I think it’s a great marriage supporting the arts and our downtown merchants together.”

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