On July 14, the Department of Transportation announced it was the recipient of a regional America’s Transportation Award from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).

PennDOT was recognized for its efforts as part of the I-579 Cap Urban Connector project in Pittsburgh, in the “Quality of Life/Community Development” category.

In the 1950s, homes and businesses in Pittsburgh's Lower Hill District neighborhood were demolished to construct the Civic Arena and other developments.

During that time, Interstate 579 was built, creating a “concrete canyon” of tall retaining walls and noisy interstate traffic, separating the Hill District from Downtown.

In 2012, the Civic Arena was demolished. As part of the vision for this area, reconnecting this neighborhood to the downtown core became a priority.

The I-579 Urban Open Space Cap bridges the interstate with a new, three-acre green space and restores the long-lost direct link to the economic opportunities and amenities of downtown Pittsburgh.  

“The I-579 Cap is a great example of a project that aims to right the wrongs of the past through innovative, sustainable and smart transportation,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian. “I am proud that AASHTO has recognized our efforts.”

The I-579 Cap was sponsored by the Pittsburgh Sports and Exhibition Authority (SEA). PennDOT oversaw the construction of the project, and the City of Pittsburgh now owns and maintains the park and recreation area.

The project team used a robust community listening, and design review process to obtain input from residents and other stakeholders for the public urban open space that makes up the surface of the Cap.

Through this process, six key themes emerged for the new park: water, green, destination, music, seating, and connection. These elements were incorporated through the park landscape design, as well as integrated art.

Specific expressions of these themes were developed by a team of artists from the Hill District and incorporated by the project landscape architect and refined through public meetings.

“Collaboration with the community and project stakeholders has been critical in moving the I-579 Cap project forward,” said Gramian. “Everyone involved has worked hard to ensure that the project truly meets the needs of this community.”

The park includes integrated art designs from neighborhood artists. "Story” walls feature two prominent Hill District residents, an outdoor classroom includes music chimes and seat drums, and totems provide interactive seating/table features.

In addition, other amenities include performance and green spaces, accessible bike/pedestrian pathways, an amphitheater space, integrated seating, descriptive wayfinding, charging stations for electronic devices, interactive spiraling trench drains, accent lighting, and bike racks.

Native trees, shrubs, and grasses permeate the site, helping to reduce road noise and relieve heat island effects, and all water is retained by soil atop the bridge or infiltrated through tiered rain gardens.

New and improved links to the public transit system including access to the nearby subway station, and locations for new bus stops.

Sponsored by AASHTO, AAA, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the America's Transportation Awards competition recognizes state departments of transportation and highlights the projects they deliver that make their communities a better place to live, work, and play.

Project nominations fall into one of three categories: Operations Excellence, Best Use of Technology & Innovation, and Quality of Life/Community Development.

All nominated projects will first compete on a regional level against projects of their own size: "Small" (projects costing up to $25 million), "Medium" (projects costing between $26 million and $200 million), and "Large" (projects costing more than $200 million).

For more information on the project, visit the I-579 Urban Open Space Cap webpage.

[Posted: July 15, 2022]

7/18/2022