Part of light-rail system to close for four hours Friday for repairs

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Port Authority’s lightrail system will be closed between First Avenue and South Hills Junction from 10 a.m. to about 2 p.m. Friday while crews complete repairs near Station Square of damage caused by the Aug. 5 freight train derailment.

During that time, the authority will operate shuttle buses with inbound stops at South Hills Junction, East Carson Street at the Smithfield Street Bridge, and Grant Street near Steel Plaza. Outbound shuttles will stop at Steel Plaza, the Landmarks Building at the south end of the Smithfield Street Bridge, and South Hills Junction.

Light-rail vehicles will operate between South Hills Junction and the end of the Red or Blue lines and from First Avenue to Allegheny Station on the North Shore.

The authority reopened outbound service through the Station Square station Thursday morning, but the station remains closed to inbound service.

Light-rail vehicles are using the Allentown line for inbound service.

Crews for the authority and its contractors have replaced 1,600 feet of track and 4,000 feet of overhead electric cable and the system that supports it, among other repairs. The station is expected to reopen this weekend for inbound service after tests are completed on fiberoptic cable that operates safety signals.

For questions about service, call Port Authority Customer Service at 412-442-2000.