Major Construction Project To Upgrade Carson Street Planned For 2020
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- From the Smithfield St. Bridge to 33rd Street by the FBI, a major upgrade to East Carson Street is on the way.
The bids were opened Thursday and work could begin before Groundhog Day.
Penndot District 11 Executive Cheryl Moon-Sirianni says this project is all about safety on East Carson.
"It's one of the highest pedestrian crash locations in our whole region," she said.
So throughout the project, pedestrian safety improvements are planned including bump-out curbs at the intersections.
"The sidewalk maybe ten or twelve feet wide. So you bump it out at the intersection so it's a shorter distance for pedestrians to cross," Moon-Sirianni said.
Curb bumps also alert drivers to the presence of pedestrians.
"Anytime you narrow the roadway down it's supposed to calm the traffic and slow down the speeds," explained Moon-Sirianni.
WATCH: Will Bike Lanes Be Part Of The Carson Street Upgrade?
While bike lanes already exist on the eastern end of the project region, in the more narrow part of East Carson, they aren't planned for the road.
"There won't be bike lanes on East Carson Street itself," she said. "The city is working on putting bike lanes on some of the parallel routes to East Carson Street."
In addition to pedestrian improvements, there will also be traffic signal upgrades, new utility poles, and according to Moon-Sirianni, the whole road is going to be paved from Smithfield to 33rd street.
The biggest issue is when to do the work.
The Port Authority says 1,000 buses per day use East Carson Street, and the nightlife on Carson keeps the place hopping nights and weekends.
"It's going to be a balance when we'll do our work," said Moon-Sirianni. "Probably a lot of weeknights."
With the bids opened on Thursday, the contractor can begin work as early as January 28th and the work will continue through the summer and into next fall.
