Point State Park officials and their contractors have opened a new, reconfigured connecting ramp carrying the Great Allegheny Passage between Point State Park and the Monongahela Wharf under the Fort Pitt Bridge. This long-awaited improvement reroutes the GAP along the Monongahela River rather than directly adjacent to I-376, removes a narrow “pinch point” obstruction caused by highway piers, and eliminates a section of trail contiguous with the parking lot behind the state park offices. The completed project is designed to improve the trail’s surface, width, grade, lighting, railings, and lines of sight, all conditions intended to encourage safe travel. An especially-welcome component of the completed project is a smoother transition to and from the Monongahela Wharf Landing, eliminating a “curb hop” and 90-degree turn. “I am grateful to be part of this project and celebrate the impactful results with our partners and community,” said Jacob Weiland, Park Operations Manager, while performing a final walkthrough with contractors.
This complicated, eight-month project, accomplished with over $4 million in funding by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, required the coordination and cooperation of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, City of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Parking Authority, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, each of which control parcels of land and riverfront along this narrow section of long-built urban environment. A ribbon-cutting will be announced later this fall.
During high-water events, travelers must still use an alternate route, and we recommend using a prescribed 0.75 mile mix of on-road riding and dedicated bike lanes through Downtown Pittsburgh as shown in TrailGuide, which is largely marked with green-and-white signs by the City of Pittsburgh and includes short sections of Smithfield Street, Third Avenue, Stanwix Street, Penn Avenue, and Liberty Avenue.