Overnight closure of northbound I-579 in Pittsburgh starts tonight

PennDOT will close portions of Interstate 579 in Downtown Pittsburgh during overnight hours starting Tuesday and continuing through Saturday as work continues on construction of a “cap” over the highway.

Northbound lanes between Centre Avenue and Bigelow Boulevard will close nightly from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. One lane of southbound I-579 also will be closed.

The closures are needed so the Joseph B. Fay Company can install beams over the highway, which also is known as the Crosstown Expressway and links Routes 28 and 51 through the Liberty Tunnels, according to PennDOT.

The long-awaited cap project, funded by federal, state and local governments and charitable foundations, will feature a three-acre public park bordered by Bigelow Boulevard and Centre Avenue and Chatham Street and Washington Place. It’s scheduled for completion in 2022.

Plans for the park include paths for walkers and bicyclists, displays that tell the history of the Hill District, artwork by local artists and stormwater mitigation, including rain gardens.

It will complement the Penguins’ plans for redevelopment of the adjoining 28-acre former Civic Arena site. Dubbed the Centre District, the $750 million project will be a residential, retail, office and entertainment complex.