Drainage work begins at Downtown Pittsburgh intersection near Market Square
A small construction project will begin Monday in Downtown Pittsburgh, but the impact on traffic near Market Square will be sizable for several weeks.
We're talking about the streets around Triangle Park and the closing or restricting of parts of Fifth Avenue and Market Street.
A repeated problem with pooling of water at the corner of Fifth and Market is prompting the closing of outbound traffic on Fifth for that very short block, as the inbound buses on the University Line will move over into the outbound lane to get to Liberty.
At the same time, the part of Market that goes in front of the Fairmont Hotel will lose its right lane and parking lane, but will remain open to truck traffic only that needs to get to businesses along Fifth Avenue.
That means if you want to go outbound on Fifth Avenue for the next three weeks, you're going to have to continue east on Liberty to Wood Street, take a right back to Fifth, or access Wood Street off Fourth Avenue.
This is going to be a significant closing as a contractor for Pittsburgh Regional Transit digs up the streets and corrects the drainage issue.
The bus stop on Fifth Avenue will be closed, and everyone will be sent across the park to the stop along Liberty Avenue.
The closures will take effect Monday morning and last for three weeks. Work will take place from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.
Riders, bus drivers forced to adapt
KDKA discovered both riders and bus drivers seem confused by temporary changes to the routes, which are causing some headaches.
When Darnell Anderson got to the bus stop on Fifth Avenue by Market in the afternoon, he wasn't sure where to catch the G2 bus to Carnegie after seeing workers jackhammering in the area.
PRT said buses won't stop at the station on Fifth, and instead, will stop at the station around the corner on Liberty by Market.
However, there seems to be a problem.
"I'm upset, I'm very upset," Anderson said. "No one knows what's happening."
While KDKA captured some buses following the new routes, our crews also watched one after another, including Anderson's, go around the cone barriers and stop at the usual station to let folks off and on. They then avoided the temporary station by keeping the doors closed or simply driving past it.
"The G2 came, and it kept going," Anderson said.
For Alexis McCray and her fiancé, Aydan Wygant, who both live in McKeesport, the opposite happened.
"The construction workers, they said, just come stand right here and the bus will still be right here," McCray said.
They waited in their usual spot at the station on Fifth, having seen other buses still stopping there, but when their bus showed up, the driver didn't open the doors, and they had to race around the corner.
"I was confused. I didn't know if I should stand over here or over there," McCray said.
KDKA reached out to PRT for comment, and a spokesperson provided the following statement:
PRT apologizes for any inconvenience caused by these temporary changes. We are using a variety of methods to communicate with our riders and operators.
In addition to the "out of service signs" placed at Market Square PRTX Station, PRT's contractor will place a physical barrier at the stop to ensure that riders are aware of the change.
However, both McCray and Anderson said they still don't know who to trust and urge others to keep their heads on a swivel.
"Just be ready and stay aware, stay aware of where these buses are going to be," McCray said.
"I just hope they get this together before winter comes," Anderson said.
PRT encourages riders with any questions to contact customer service at 412-442-2000, on X (formerly Twitter) @PghTransitCare, or via live chat at www.ridePRT.org.
As for drivers on the road looking for a detour, you will have to go to Wood to get to Fifth, either on Liberty or Fourth Avenue.