South Side paving schedule altered after contract worker shot with BB gun
Chaos on Pittsburgh’s South Side is apparently bleeding over into street paving.
Last month, a contract worker was struck with a BB gun pellet, officials said. PennDOT spokesperson Nicole Haney said the incident combined with other harassment that workers were facing from the public led PennDOT to shift paving from nighttime to daylight hours over the past two weeks.
“Safety is a top priority for the Department for both motorists and its employees and contractors,” said Haney. “The flaggers were understandably nervous following the incident.”
The paving of East Carson from Hot Metal Street to 33rd Street was completed Thursday.
According to Pittsburgh Police, a worker was stuck with a BB gun pellet near Hot Metal Street and East Carson Street on Aug. 18. The worker told police he was standing at an intersection when he thought he felt a pinch on his leg, then noticed a male with a pellet gun nearby. The worker then noticed the male fleeing by vehicle into an alleyway.
Officers are still investigating the incident.
When paving resumed the last week in August after a week off, Haney said PennDOT and the contractor completing the paving decided to move the paving to the daylight for safety reasons.
Daytime paving is fairly common for PennDOT and most of the Carson Street project has been completed during the day. Paving on a few side streets between Hot Metal and 33rd will be finished this week.
Haney said that PennDOT and contractors will return to overnight paving for a week starting on Sept. 14 near the intersection of Carson Street and the Birmingham Bridge. Police will also be present during the overnight work near the Birmingham Bridge.
The following week, PennDOT will move back to a daylight schedule so that Carson Street and nearby roadways between 8th and 14th streets and the Arlington Avenue intersection can be paved.
During daylight paving, it’s recommended that drivers avoid the area during morning rush hour.
The South Side has had a chaotic summer, with an increase in crime, underage drinking, and other activity leading police to increase their presence in the neighborhood.
Ryan Deto is a TribLive reporter covering politics, Pittsburgh and Allegheny County news. A native of California’s Bay Area, he joined the Trib in 2022 after spending more than six years covering Pittsburgh at the Pittsburgh City Paper, including serving as managing editor. He can be reached at rdeto@triblive.com.
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