f you’ve strolled down Washington Road recently, it’s apparent: the Vibrant Uptown project is in full swing. The nearly $4 million project is in the first phase, which will update the infrastructure of Mt. Lebanon’s central business district. At the end of this phase, which will continue through next spring, Mt. Lebanon’s main street will have new sidewalks, lighting, electrical lines, planter boxes, seating, more pedestrian-friendly accessible crossings and updating plantings.
The planter boxes will include native species and will have irrigation lines to ensure the trees and perennials thrive. Uplighting will make the area more attractive and safer in the evenings.
All businesses are open during the work, and we encourage Washington Road patrons to use the parking garages whenever possible, since some of the parking lanes are needed for safety buffers during work. Parking in the garages when possible also leaves a street space open for someone with limited mobility.
And while we always encourage pedestrians to follow all traffic laws when crossing the street, it’s even more important now that Washington Road is a work zone and the travel lanes can be impacted.
Contractors from Plavchak Construction began work in July with demolition of light poles, sidewalks and planters on the west side of Washington Road, from the South Parking Lot (in front of 750 Washington Road) to the edge of the entrance of the South Parking Garage. The next stage moved the work to the east side of the road, from 733 Washington Road to Alfred Street.
Further project phases call for a public art component and for the “activation of Parse Way,” a fancy way of saying we want to take the street behind Washington Road above the T tracks and make it useful, attractive, safe and suitable for walking, enjoying an ice cream cone or other outdoor activity.
The work is complicated, and contractors do occasionally run into unforeseen circumstances which can change the work schedule and impact your drive to work or walk to dinner. We’d love for you to sign up for LeboALERTS at www.mtlebanon.org [1] and sign up for the Vibrant Uptown email newsletter [2]. We send an eblast whenever the schedule changes or whenever we have important project news to share.