Red Line T Reopens After Months Of Construction

BEECHVIEW (KDKA) -- A welcome sight for thousands of South Hills commuters: the T's Red Line through Beechview is back in full operation.

That means no more detours, delays or shuttle bus service.

"It's going to make life easy, and I'm glad Port Authority had these people do it," commuter Hal Miller said.

"We're delighted it's back open," commuter Karen Willoughby said. "We use it a lot when we go downtown to Station Square."

The $8.4 million project was originally supposed to take a year, but was completed in six months. A stretch of Broadway that was torn up has now been repaved. It's making life a little easier for people in the neighborhood.

"I'm very excited to have it open," Beechview resident Danielle Bellows said. "It's nice to have all the construction done so that we can easily cross the street. All the workers and whatever. It's nice to have it open."

"They replaced about a mile's worth of track," Adam Brandolph with the Port Authority said. "They redid all the concrete around the track, and then they freshened up some of the stops, the high level platforms, things like that."

The Port Authority is thanking people in the community for their patience. During construction, about 12 thousand commuters were forced to either switch to Blue Line service or exit the rail line at Potomac Avenue and catch a shuttle bus to the nearby Fallowfield Station.

"It took forever, especially coming from downtown to here," commuter Andy Dijiaimo said. "There would be like ten Blue Lines to one Red Line, it was crazy."

"Actually, we took the Blue Line," commuter Carl Mastrocola said. "Now we have the option of both."

Monday morning, commuters were relieved to find out the Red Line was back up and running.

"It was real packed [Monday] morning, like there was a ton of people, but on the way back, it was kind of empty, so I feel like everyone's able to catch it now," Beechview resident Jake Wolff said.

Riders are thankful it will make their morning commute smoother and faster.

"It's quicker, too, more convenient," commuter Bob Tanner of Beechview said. "I don't like wasting two hours of my day waiting for buses."

Tanner hadn't even released the Red Line had reopened.

"I just found out, like, five minutes ago," he said. "I was waiting for the 42 [bus], and it didn't come."

"The shuttles will be gone, the 42 Dormont will also be gone," Brandolph said. "The Red Line is wide open, and we hope that people take advantage of it and use it again."

Port Authority and Allegheny County officials say the work was necessary, but now that it's finished, the line in Beechview should be set for the next 30 years.

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