A two-mile segment of the Great Allegheny Passage will close to travelers next month in favor of a temporary shuttle service as contractors take preventative measures against landslides in the area.
The trail will close between the Whitaker flyover in Whitaker and the Port Perry flyover near Duquesne from July 9 through Aug. 6. Additionally, a segment of the trail near Kennywood in West Mifflin will close the evening of July 9, reopening the following day.
Workers will remove “potentially unstable material” during the closures on steep hillsides that are susceptible to falling rocks, downed trees and landslides, according to the Great Allegheny Passage’s website.
Regional Trail Corporation President Mark Place said in a release the maintenance was “necessary to reduce the risks to trail users,” adding that officials were working toward funding a long-term solution.
The 150-mile trail connects Pittsburgh’s Point State Park with Cumberland, a city in Western Maryland, and draws around 1 million pedestrians and cyclists per year.
“This is a beloved asset for so many in this community while also attracting visitors from all 50 states and 40 countries,” Place said. “The investment today allows us to address immediate issues while we continue to identify additional funding sources for other necessary work.”
The Regional Trail Corporation has secured roughly $4.3 million of the $8 million it believes will be necessary for more permanent landslide repairs in the area, said spokesman Brandon Simpson.
In the meantime, the Great Allegheny Passage Conservancy has licensed Bill’s Car Service and Transport — a local business — to shuttle pedestrians and bicyclists between the trail access areas at 20 Library Place in Duquesne (Mile Marker 135.3) and 191 East Waterfront Drive in Homestead (Mile Marker 140.5).
Shuttles are available on a first-come, first-served basis from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily during the project. One-way tickets cost $20 per person, and shuttle rides take approximately 20 minutes.