Building the second phase of Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s Bus Rapid Transit system will cost about 20% less than expected.
The board’s Performance Oversight Committee Thursday recommended the board award a $99.8 million contract to Independence Excavating Inc. to build 18 stations and other amenities between Pittsburgh’s Uptown and Oakland neighborhoods. The agency had projected the second half of the project would cost about $120 million.
Independence, which was recommended over two other bidders, already had a $27.9 million contract to build five stations and other elements of the project in Downtown Pittsburgh. That work started in September 2023 and should be done in late spring.
The two general construction contracts will cost about $128 million, less than half the budget of $291 million. Greg O’Hare, the agency’s chief engineer, said the project also has design and engineering costs and the Federal Transit Administration required a hefty contingency of $65.5 million in case run crews find unexpected problems when they open the city’s old streets.
The project, dubbed the University Line, will connect two of the state’s top three economic generators with exclusive bus lanes. The system will operate inbound from Oakland on Fifth Avenue and outbound on Forbes Avenue.
Overall, the goal is to provide more reliable service by stopping buses from bunching together and getting stuck in rush-hour traffic. Five bus routes will use the system: 61A, B and C, 71B and P3.
Greg O’Hare, PRT’s chief engineer, said Independence likely would receive a notice to proceed with work in six to eight weeks, but the public probably wouldn’t see any signs until next spring. The system should be in full operation sometime in 2027, but the target date won’t be set until Independence completes its work schedule, he said.
In addition to the stations, this project will include paving the streets, improving stormwater drainage, replacing traffic signals and installing a bicycle lane on Forbes.
Chief Development Officer Amy Silbermann told the committee that Downtown construction is on schedule. Buses currently are following the loop they will use when the system is open — inbound on Fifth Avenue to Liberty, Liberty to Sixth Avenue, and Sixth to Forbes.
That loop will become exclusive to buses when construction is finished in the spring rather than waiting for the full system to be completed.
Ed covers transportation at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at eblazina@unionprogress.com.