Page’s ice cream shop and Bad Azz BBQ are seasonal businesses — from spring into fall.
When owners heard about the closure of Becks Run Road that connects Pittsburgh’s South Side to the Carrick/Baldwin area, they had concerns about how to let customers know they are open.
“I think there is some confusion and some miscommunication about the street being closed for customers,” said Marjorie Page-Prusia, co-owner of Page’s with husband Jared Prusia. “Customers have been calling. I understand about not letting traffic through (the construction zone) for safety reasons, but I want our customers to know we are still open.”
The $34 million project is being done to replace aging infrastructure in the Pittsburgh water system, said Brent Robinson, manager of external affairs for Pennsylvania American Water, in an email. Robinson anticipates the project, which began June 3, to be completed by next summer.
It involves replacing 100-year-old water mains with two new 42-inch water mains, which carry raw water from the Monongahela River to the Hays Mine Water Treatment Plant and provides up to 30 million gallons of clean drinking water daily to roughly 137,000 Allegheny County customers.
Weather permitting, Casper Colosimo & Sons will work from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays.
“Construction zones will be fully closed to through traffic for the entire duration of the project to ensure the safety of our workers and motorists,” Robinson said. “This project involves replacing large water mains, which will require closing a lane of traffic to create enough space for equipment and personnel to safely excavate and efficiently replace the infrastructure.”
Currently, work is taking place from Wagner Street to Agnew Road. The next phase will start in the fall, Robinson said, and businesses and residents will be notified.
Only Pittsburgh Regional Transit buses and emergency vehicles will be granted limited access through one lane of the construction zone between Wagner and Agnew, said Gary Lobaugh, director, government and external affairs for Pennsylvania American Water via email on Friday.
The area is also off limits to motorcycles and cyclists and pedestrians.
“This portion of the road will be closed to all other motorists to ensure the safety of our workers and motorists while this essential water infrastructure project is completed,” Lobaugh said. “Unfortunately, there have been several close calls between motorists and our workers since the start of the project, and just early Friday morning, an intoxicated motorist crashed in the construction zone.”
The best detour for northbound traffic is from Becks Run Road onto Agnew Road, then Joseph Street, Glass Run Road and East Carson Street. Southbound traffic will detour from East Carson Street to Glass Run Road, Joseph Street, Agnew Street and back to Becks Run Road.
Customers can reach both businesses from East Carson Street. The closure also is affecting employees’ drive times, Page-Prusia said.
One potential challenge may come once the part of Becks Run Road closest to Carson Street is closed because it will be more difficult to access one side of the parking lot at Page’s. Bad Azz BBQ is located further up Becks Run Road from Page’s.
Stacy Bradley, owner of Bad Azz BBQ, said some of her business comes from people who drive by. She said she has been trying to add more catering jobs to help with income. She suggested projects such as this one should build into their budget money that a business projects to lose during a street closure.
In these first two weeks, Page-Prusia said she has noticed a decrease in her daytime business despite the heatwave.
The last time there was a street closure disruption was 10 years ago when Carson Street was closed and cut sales in half, Page-Prusia said. Her father, Chuck Page, was the owner. Her told her situtations such as this one are part of owning a business.
Both Page’s and Bad Azz BBQ survived the pandemic. Page-Prusia and Jared Prusia purchased the family business in 2020. Bradley’s father, Scott Bradley Sr., inspired her to open her business 12 years ago.
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“I understand it has to be done,” Page-Prusia said. “I just don’t want customers to be stressed.”
Robinson said it is recommended that motorists take a moment to familiarize themselves with the suggested detour and plan their commutes to adjust to the project. He said Pennsylvania American Water truly appreciates everyone’s patience and said it will do its best to mitigate the impact on local businesses and residents while maintaining a safe and organized construction zone.
He said the company understands this temporary traffic change may be disruptive to some, but the measures are necessary to ensure the safety of workers and the success of the project.
“It is stressful and the most frightened I have been in business,” Bradley said. “When you have a small family-owned business that is seasonal, you only have so much time to make money. I respect what they are doing, but if people can’t get to us they will go somewhere else.”
Bad Azz BBQ, located at 1000 Becks Run Road, is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.
Page’s, located at 4112 E. Carson St., is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Sundays.
There is a water line improvement page on the Pennsylvania American Water page which can be accessed here.
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region’s diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of “A Daughter’s Promise.” She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.