City receives grant for landslide remediation in Mount Washington

Mayor Bill Peduto announced last week that Pittsburgh is set to receive a federal grant that will be used to remediate landslide conditions in Mount Washington.

In a Dec. 7 news release, the mayor’s office said the nearly $10 million grant was provided by the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency and is specifically aimed at restoring landslide protections at spots along Grandview Avenue, Greenleaf Street and William Street following about 10 years of repeated incidents.

“Support for infrastructure upgrades is one of the most important ways the federal government can partner with Pittsburgh, and will help preserve this historic asset beloved by residents and tourists alike for years to come,” Mr. Peduto said.

The project will include constructing retaining walls and/ or engineered slopes to repair landslide damage and to ensure future slope stability, as well as collecting water to prevent seepage into underlying soils.

The city said in 2019 that it would spend about $8 million to repair damage caused by landslides in 2018, according to a report by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in February of last year, including a slide in Pittsburgh’s Spring Hill neighborhood that caused the evacuation of six homes, as well as a slide on Greenleaf Street that cost the city $1 million at the time to remediate.

“Mount Washington and Duquesne Heights residents have long shared beautiful Grandview Avenue with others, and will now finally get the return in investment they deserve. These upgrades should make the avenue and other streets around the neighborhood safe for generations,” City Council President Theresa Kail-Smith said.