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boundary street closure

When riding home last night, Boundary was blocked in Panther Hollow going up towards the railroad tracks. I rode through anyway, and the bridge dismantling did not impede me, but there was not room for a car to pass.

This street closure was not announced on WQED street closure report this morning- does this mean it is open again?

Also, anyone have an opinion on riding through this sort of situation when work is still going on? Often bicycles or pedestrians can pass without impeding the work being done.


helen-s
2011-11-01 12:41:27

My experience is you can pretty much get thru anything unless there is actually a bridge missing or something. (even then sometimes). I've found the construction workers here to be very kind and will let you thru if at all possible.


If there's not actually anyone working I say have at it. It's a bit of a PGH tradition, really.


mayhew
2011-11-01 13:09:47

which bridge are they dismantling? the railroad trestle where it narrows to 1 lane? i'd been dreading the day when that happens, i hope not but i heard it's no longer used.


salty
2011-11-01 17:48:27

There was a sign saying it was closed when I went to go down that way this morning, but I decided not to try it and went around so I'm not sure how bad it would have been to get through. And yes, at that one lane underpass (or at least that's what it seemed to be from what I could tell)


aryn
2011-11-01 17:54:36

yeah, that's the one. i went through last night at about 6:30, and there were large pieces of wood blocking much of the lane. a car could not squeeze through, but a bike surely could when there are not workers present, as was the case with my trip through.


i actually went through three "road closed" signs last night without any ill effects—one in mount washington (on grandview near the mon incline), and one in greenfield (greenfield ave. near magee field). i couldn't help but wonder if there is something about this time of year that prompts street closings.


also, further to Chris's point, i did once go through a road closed sign once that came to a missing bridge about 10-15 miles later. and i crossed the small stream that the bridge was meant to traverse on foot, where someone had built up a dry path of flat and stable rocks. so yeah, even that can be done in a pinch.


hiddenvariable
2011-11-01 18:03:38

that sucks. i'm sure all we'll get is more cars travelling at higher speeds out of that deal.


salty
2011-11-01 18:29:17

The bridge I referenced was the Greenfield Bridge....the one that crosses the Parkway just before the Squirrel Hill tunnel outbound. You know, the one that has all the netting below it to catch falling debris. It will be undergoing restoration/repairs in coming months.


I don't have any information about the small railroad bridge that Salty mentioned.


swalfoort
2011-11-01 18:40:29

The old trestle they used to use to deliver coal to the heating plant. When the Reverse Keg Ride went under it the other day, it was clear it was being dismantled, though the street was not blocked at that point.


stuinmccandless
2011-11-01 18:48:26

Ahh, that makes sense. The power plant was recently converted, and is no longer coal fired. Makes the trestle a liability concern, I suspect.


swalfoort
2011-11-01 19:11:10

Oh, sad face :-( I love the idea of a railroad going into a building, as happened there. I like to think that Andrew Carnegie once took the train directly from wherever into the basement of the museum using that trestle.


ieverhart
2011-11-01 19:13:46

bump.


still blocked...


sloaps
2011-11-03 22:13:25

Is it possible to get to Boundary & the Tail via the CMU parking garage?


pseudacris
2011-11-04 11:18:41

the trestle is south of the garage. it you want to completely avoid the construction your best bet is joncaire.


cburch
2011-11-04 14:29:40

And if you don't like Joncaire, you can miss most of it by carrying your bike down the steps behind the fountain next to the Frick Fine Arts Bldg, visible on this map as the dotted line in the center of the view. (The trestle in question is in the upper-right corner of this view.)


stuinmccandless
2011-11-04 20:09:40

Does anyone know if Boundary is still passable when there are no workers at the project?


dstbl
2011-11-04 21:50:18

It is. I just rode up it after 530pm. No problems. Nice without traffic. Weird without that trestle bridge there


stefb
2011-11-04 22:52:06

whoa. took Joncaire earlier this evening... talk about some rough cobblestone.


dmtroyer
2011-11-04 23:03:05

Thanks. I'll give it a try tomorrow.


dstbl
2011-11-04 23:41:19

I go home up Joncaire almost every night, but I never ride the rocks. I hop up on to the sidewalk on the righthand side. You have to be careful and yield to pedestrians, but at least at the times I'm riding there aren't many, and it sure beats the bonerattling ride on the street (which can be fun, but not as an everyday thing).


chinston
2011-11-05 00:54:39

Yeah, I was super cautious at first but about half way down I just thought what the heck and let off the brakes. My arms were buzzing at the bottom!


dmtroyer
2011-11-05 02:42:49

I hate that street. And the sidewalk. Boooo


stefb
2011-11-05 12:16:17

Riding up streets like that is fun but i can't take going down, I feel like I'm going to wreck, especially if its the least bit wet. I don't know if its just paranoia or actually dangerous though.


Ugh I remember riding down some ridiculously steep block road when i was trying to find the old BP office, that was terrifying.


salty
2011-11-05 14:04:01

Riding up streets like that is fun but i can't take going down, I feel like I'm going to wreck, especially if its the least bit wet. I don't know if its just paranoia or actually dangerous though.


I often go up Yarrow Way to cut out the negatives of riding the full length of Joncaire Street. It's super-steep but doable over its short distance. I've never ridden down Yarrow, which just feels dangerous. Riding down Joncaire is almost unbearable.


ieverhart
2011-11-05 20:13:16

I did it in a car last night.

I live on the edge


steevo
2011-11-06 12:53:17

I had been riding down Yarrow all last week- keep your weight back and rear brake on with a slow start.


helen-s
2011-11-07 00:35:07

So is Boundary still closed or anyone know how long it will be? I am wondering to try to get through tomorrow morning.


zjc2a
2011-11-07 02:36:03

The "Road Closed" sign was definitely there today but I wanted to go to Oakland so I turned up Joncaire instead of checking it out.


BTW I was going to go up Yarrow since I've never been but I saw the "NO OUTLET" sign and turned around. But, looking at street view I guess the sign is for Boundary not Yarrow. Looks like you still get the steep part of Joncaire regardless.


salty
2011-11-07 07:34:13

Really, do try the steps. You get all of flat Oakland to get to the fountain, carry the bike down 100 steps, then you're almost down to the level-ish part of Boundary. No hills, almost no cobbles (75 feet), no traffic.


stuinmccandless
2011-11-07 14:12:24

The problem is that I hate getting over to the top of joncaire or over to those stairs. I dont want to deal with Oakland.


stefb
2011-11-07 14:25:13

Boundary was still closed as of 11am Sunday, but I was able to ride through with no problem (there were no construction workers at the time). I also went through last week early in the morning, and while there were some workers there, they didn't seem to mind me riding through. Worst case scenario, you can probably walk your bike through the actual work area, which isn't very big.


willb
2011-11-07 14:31:35

It is still closed as of about an hour ago. Went through this morning and a few times last week with no problems, though. The only time there have been people there working they seemed friendly and just told me to be careful going through.


aryn
2011-11-07 16:05:32

closed but totally rideable as of noon today.


cburch
2011-11-07 17:23:30

thanks to whomever blew through the yellow caution tape near the parking lot. its much easier to get through that intersection now!


emilywools
2011-11-08 03:39:52

Does anyone know when this is scheduled to reopen?


marvelousm3
2011-11-10 12:26:52

@mr. marv I rode through it on Tuesday without a problem. I slowed down when I approached the construction workers and they smiled and waved me through. Give it a shot! Seems like others here have had a similar experience. Nice guys!


pseudacris
2011-11-10 13:07:11

Ok thanks


marvelousm3
2011-11-10 14:57:24

When I rode thorugh last night there were cars going through also, despite the barricades. When I got to the north end, I moved the barricade back, but the next car moved it out of their way. This morning there was a payloader movign the rock pile into the section that used ot be under the bridge but he didn't even look over at me when I passed.


helen-s
2011-11-10 15:05:25

I saw cars last Evening go through as well and considered moving the blocks back into their way, but I am glad I didn't waste my time


stefb
2011-11-10 19:21:57

Ellsworth has pretty much trained me to ignore Road Closed signs and going through Boundary twice in the last week has only reinforced this ;)


sprite
2011-11-11 23:06:51

FWIW, I came down the steps I mentioned a few nights ago. I had a little trouble finding them from the top. They run from the parking lot behind the Frick Fine Arts building. I counted 145 steps, including the sidewalk on Joncaire. And you really are less than 100 feet from Boundary.


stuinmccandless
2011-11-12 12:37:46

Is this open yet? I plan on cutting thru anyway just wondering.


marvelousm3
2011-11-16 22:40:46

Yep, they're done. Fully paved and everything.


They didn't put overhead low clearance signs though, so it's only a matter of time before someone takes a tractor trailer down there and takes out the pipes they just put up. :) Then again, I guess there isn't any less clearance than before.


rice-rocket
2011-11-16 23:22:28

When I have gone through the last few days I was wondering when someone will sideswipe or run into the big pipe right next to the road now that traffic will be speeding through with two lanes. These are steam pipes, I assume?

That will be exciting.


helen-s
2011-11-17 12:52:28