The closed portion of the Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway could open as early as Friday evening.
Pittsburgh Regional Transit said a geotechnical engineering consultant decided Thursday after extensive testing that the hillside that collapsed last Friday is stable. Still, the agency is expecting the delivery of more than 100 tons of concrete barriers early Friday that will be placed along 272 feet of the busway to protect it from further landslides.
The material will include 34 barriers and 21 concrete blocks, each weighing about 2 tons. If the barriers arrive as scheduled, they could be in place in time for the busway to open Friday evening.
Even when the busway reopens, the agency will use a temporary traffic signal to allow vehicles to go through the area one at a time in the lane farthest from the landslide area. The speed limit also will be reduced to 25 miles an hour in that area of the busway.
The hillside in Polish Hill above the busway collapsed after a water main leak, dumping tons of trees, dirt and other debris on a section of the busway. PRT cleared the roadway quickly but detoured traffic around the area until it could be sure there wouldn’t be additional landslides.
The detour onto regular city streets added 15 to 20 minutes to each busway trip. The busway, which begins in Swissvale and ends at Grant Street, Downtown, is one of PRT’s busiest corridors, carrying 12,000 riders a day from eastern suburbs and city neighborhoods to Downtown Pittsburgh.
Ed covers transportation at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at eblazina@unionprogress.com.