Plan ahead: part of GAP bike trail closed near Pittsburgh
Attention bikers: Travelers planning for a summer GAP trail trip to Pittsburgh should be aware of a two-mile closure between Duquesne and Homestead, outside the city. A rock slide near mile marker 136, between the Whitaker and Port Perry flyovers has closed a section of the trail through Aug. 6 to allow preventive rock scaling…
Attention bikers: Travelers planning for a summer GAP trail trip to Pittsburgh should be aware of a two-mile closure between Duquesne and Homestead, outside the city.
A rock slide near mile marker 136, between the Whitaker and Port Perry flyovers has closed a section of the trail through Aug. 6 to allow preventive rock scaling work and repairs along a steep hillside that’s susceptible to rockslides. The bad news? There is no safe detour.
Those tempted to use Route 837 as an alternate should know that section of the highway is among the 10 most dangerous in Allegheny County.
The estimated cost of repairs and remediation of the area is $8 million, $4.3 million of which has been raised.
The Great Allegheny Passage Conservancy is providing a licensed shuttle service for GAP travelers, including their bicycles, starting July 10. The service will operate between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. seven days a week until the trail work is done.
The shuttle fee is $20 per person. Cash is preferred, but credit cards will be accepted. A one-way shuttle ride is expected to take 16 to 20 minutes, depending on traffic.
The shuttle will stop where the GAP intersects East Grant Avenue at the entrance to RIDC Riverplace business park, near mile marker 135.3. On the western end, the shuttle will use the GAP-branded trail access area at the Waterfront shopping center, which is at 191 East Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA 15120, near mile marker 140.5.
Alternatively, travelers may consider Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s bus service using the 59 or 61C buses.
This section of the GAP, which offers brief glimpses into the historic Kennywood amusement park, is maintained by Steel Valley Trail Council volunteers and has experienced several rockfalls and landslides over the years. The Steel Valley Trail offers riders an historic look at what was the Pittsburgh’s industrial underbelly, past the region’s last remaining steel mill in Braddock and through the fading town of McKeesport along with occasional stretches of lush greenery.