Massive Downtown Pittsburgh Sinkhole To Take Weeks To Repair

PITTSBURGH, PA - It's going to be a difficult holiday season for businesses and Downtown motorists in the area of the giant sinkhole that swallowed a Port Authority bus on Monday. City officials on Tuesday said it will be about eight weeks until 10th Street between Penn and Liberty avenues reopens.

Although Penn Avenue reopened early Tuesday, traffic continues to be impacted around the area. A small portion of the Penn Avenue bike lane is closed, forcing bicyclists to use the traffic lane.

A contractor on Tuesday began removing concrete and debris from the hole to enable utilities to work on securing the fiber infrastructure at the site. When that work is completed, the Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority will assess any damage to water, storm and sewer lines at the site and make any required repairs.

There are a host of utilities impacted by the sinkhole, which complicates the restoration effort. In addition to the water and sewer authority, there is also below-ground infrastructure at the site by Duquesne Light, Verizon, Peoples Gas, and PAC Thermal.

The street cannot be restored until all utility repairs are complete. Once those repairs are done, the sinkhole will be filled up to the subgrade level and a new concrete street will be
poured. Sidewalks and curbs in the affected area will also be restored.

All of those repairs likely will take until late December to complete.

Businesses in the area may experience intermittent outages of water or utility service as repairs are made, city officials said. Entry to the Westin Pittsburgh Hotel is being accommodated from Liberty Avenue at 10th Street.