Allegheny Circle Conversion Project begins Monday on North Side

Phase 2 of the Allegheny Circle Two-Way Conversion Project will get underway Monday, the City of Pittsburgh has announced.

The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2021.

Allegheny Circle is made up of four streets (North, East, South and West Commons) around Allegheny Center on the North Side. For many years it functioned as a 4-lane one-way ring road.

“The conversion of Allegheny Circle to two-way traffic has long been one of the North Side’s top priorities,” said a post from the City of Pittsburgh on its Facebook page. “The 1950s work in Allegheny Circle was generally considered to be a failed attempt to recreate a suburban feeling in a dense neighborhood.”

#Pittsburgh’s @PghDOMI has announced that construction will begin on the Allegheny Circle Two-Way Conversion on April 19th.

This project reverses a 1950's urban renewal failure on our North Side & has been long desired by the community. MORE: https://t.co/E8kjwsXzC1 pic.twitter.com/bBNycpm0oR

— City of Pittsburgh (@Pittsburgh) April 15, 2021

Phase 1 of the project, completed in 2018, reduced the travel lanes from four to two and added a two-way cycle track on the inside of the circle and parking on the outside. Phase 2 of the project will finish the transition of the circle from a vehicle-centric street to a pedestrian-friendly one, the city said.

The project will convert the street to a two-way road for vehicles with one lane of traffic in each direction. The cycle track will be upgraded and bicycle facilities will be extended to connect with existing facilities. The project will also include upgrades to traffic signals and intersection modifications to improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists.

The city said construction will generally take place Monday through Friday during daylight hours. A section of Ridge Avenue and East Ohio Street at Allegheny Commons will be closed starting Monday until early July.