Funicular Upgrade, New Subway Escalators In Pittsburgh

The Port Authority in Pittsburgh is embarking on US$21.7 million in construction projects that include the upgrade of the historic Monongahela Incline and replacement of nine escalators at three downtown subway stations, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. Opened in 1870, the Monongahela Incline carries people between Station Square and Mount Washington and is the oldest continuously operating funicular in the country. It is set to be closed from August 1-November 11, 2022, as workers perform a “complete rehabilitation” per a US$8.2-million contract that includes Mosites Construction Co. as general contractor (GC). Mosites is also the GC for the escalator work, which consists of replacing 20-year-old units with new transit-grade ones. Work at the Wood Street, Steel Plaza and First Avenue stations will take place over two years, with closures lasting about four months each. Port Authority Director of Capital Programs Eric Bilsky said much of the steel fabrication for the escalators can be done offsite before existing escalators are shut down. He said the authority will ensure that elevators are operational during this time.