We're Investing in Your Community

We’re committed to providing safe, reliable natural gas service to your community. The Penn Avenue Pipe Replacement Project will install new infrastructure to replace aged pipelines that date back to the 19th century. Get updates on the project’s progress here.

Modern gas infrastructure improves the safety and reliability of our system, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

Since its founding in 1885, Peoples has provided natural gas service to millions of customers throughout Western Pennsylvania. With some of the pipelines that transport and deliver gas dating back to the company’s earliest days, Peoples is in the midst of executing a Long-Term Infrastructure Improvement Plan to replace aged pipes with new lines. This work improves the safety, reliability and environmental sustainability of our region’s gas distribution systems.
 

In 2024, Peoples began construction on the Penn Avenue Pipe Replacement Project to replace a cast-iron steel pipeline that was installed in 1886. Covering stretches of Penn Avenue in the City of Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield, Garfield and Lawrenceville neighborhoods, Peoples is working to complete this important project with minimal disruption to residents and businesses in the area. With the approval of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) and City of Pittsburgh’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI), Peoples crews and contractors have divided the Penn Avenue project into four phases. Please Note: information on this page is tentative and subject to change. Peoples will make efforts to keep this page up to date as Construction continues.

OUR COMMITMENT

Throughout construction, Peoples will strive to keep its work zone as small as possible to minimize disruptions to traffic and daily life for businesses and residents. Though you may see signage noting limited access in our work area, please check with our on-site inspector with any questions or unique needs you may have. Vehicular access is permitted throughout construction for deliveries, public transit, and essential service vehicles such as ambulances and trash collection. Sidewalks remain open with assistance during construction.

Peoples’ permits for construction permit work between the hours of 7 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. However, standard work plans are limited to Monday – Friday. 

Below is a summary of each phase in the Penn Avenue Pipe Replacement Project. Each phase contains three steps.

Project Steps

	STEP 1: Pre-Construction During our first phase, we send letters to notify all customers in the affected construction zone. We also gather permits so that we have permission before we begin construction. Additionally, we survey the area and conduct any preliminary groundwork and inspections required. Customers whose gas meter is inside their building will receive a notification approximately 30 days before construction begins. All other customers will receive a letter ~15 days in advance. Automated phone calls are also placed shortly before construction begins. You can set up an online account with us to ensure we have the correct contact information on file, or call us at 1-800-764-0111 to update your phone number and other information through our Contact Center.
	STEP 2: Active Construction During active construction along a roadway, work zones and safety traffic cones will be set up to adjust traffic patterns, following state or local guidelines. This allows Peoples and our contractors to safely control and direct traffic. Please reduce your speed in work zones and drive without distractions. Our employees’ and contractors’ lives depend on you!
	STEP 3: Post-Construction During this step, we begin restoring the areas where we completed our construction work. We'll replace any sections of lawn, fields, roadways, and landscaping as needed. After our restoration services, your street will be back to normal. In some cases, it might look even better than before! During winter months, only temporary restoration is performed. Crews will return during warmer weather to complete permanent restoration.

PENN AVENUE PHASE 1

Phase 1 began at the intersection of Roup Avenue and Penn Avenue, and continued westward to the intersection of Penn and Evaline Avenue. Construction began in March 2024 and concluded in August 2024. All sidewalks impacted by Phase 1 have been restored, and hard restoration on the intersections of South Pacific Avenue and Penn Avenue and South Graham Avenue and Penn Avenue is now complete.

The City of Pittsburgh is responsible for the final “mill and pave” of the roadway; please visit the City’s website for more information.

PENN AVENUE PHASE 2

Phase 2 began at the intersection of Evaline and Penn, heading west to the intersection of Friendship Avenue/45th Street and Penn Avenue. This phase began in August 2024, and construction was completed in April 2025. Restoration is now taking place.

In order to safely restore Penn Avenue, we will need to periodically close the road entirely to make improvements. We will maintain access for emergency vehicles, heavy machinery, trucks, and buses. We are working closely with Pittsburgh’s Department of Mobility & Infrastructure (DOMI) to minimize disruptions to the extent possible.

Street restoration: Spring 2026  

Due to the 2026 NFL Draft and resulting traffic impacts throughout the region, Penn Avenue restoration work will be limited until the conclusion of the DICK’S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon on May 3, 2026. 

October 29, 2025 Update: 

Phase 2 sidewalk restoration is now complete, and Peoples’ contractor crews are performing street restoration in accordance with permits issued by Pittsburgh DOMI after review by City Council, Traffic Control, and DOMI. 

Permitted working hours are 8:00 p.m. – 6:00 a.m., beginning Monday evenings through Friday mornings. For the safety of residents and visitors, crews will fully close the block where they are working, limiting closures as much as possible to minimize disruption. Emergency vehicles, busses and heavy machinery will be able to travel through the work area, which will be managed by traffic control contractors. Pedestrian access to businesses and residents will still be available during this work, though during brief periods access may be restricted for safety purposes, such as when concrete is being poured. Businesses and sidewalks are able to remain open – please check with individual businesses for their operating hours.  

Peoples and its contractor crews plan to begin street base repair on Monday, November 10. This work would start at the intersection of Penn Avenue and Friendship Avenue and head west on Penn. Please reference the maps below to see the areas targeted for restoration, marked in red. 

Please note: This work schedule is tentative and subject to change based on weather and other factors. Asphalt plants typically close once temperatures are consistently below 40 degrees, at which point permanent restoration efforts are paused until the spring. 

PENN AVENUE PHASE 3

The third phase of work to replace the 19th-century pipeline on Penn Avenue is scheduled to begin in April 2025, once Phase 2 construction is completed. Phase 3 begins at the intersection of Friendship Avenue/45th Street and Penn Avenue, and heads west to the intersection of Penn and 39th Street. Phase 3 also includes the stretch of 39th Street from Penn Avenue to Liberty Avenue, as well as a portion of Liberty Avenue from 39th to the Bloomfield Bridge.

Similar to previous phases, construction crews will break up Phase 3’s work into segments.

• Segment 1: Penn Avenue, 45th Street to Main Street
• Segment 2: Penn Avenue, Main Street to 39th Street
• Segment 3: 39th Street, Penn Avenue to Liberty Avenue
• Segment 4: Liberty Avenue, 38th Street to Bloomfield Bridge  

April 2026 Update: Crews are working to install and tie in service lines for customers along Penn Avenue between Main Street and 39th Street. Upon completion of that section, we intend to move to 39th Street to tie in customers in that segment, and then proceed to the final Phase 3 segment's customers on Liberty Avenue. This work is projected to occur during the second quarter of 2026 – please note all schedules are tentative and subject to change based upon weather, major regional events, and other factors.

The full construction area for Phase 3, as well as the Phase 1 and 2 areas in the restoration process, can be found on our Future Work map. 

PENN AVENUE PHASE 4

Upon completion of Phase 3, Peoples and its contractors will move into the fourth phase of pipeline improvements on Penn Avenue. This project is expected to commence in Summer 2026. Working in close conjunction with fellow utilities and City planners, Phase 4 will modernize approximately 4,000’ of aged pipelines for the long-term benefits of the community. The work footprint begins at the intersection of Penn Avenue and 39th Street, traveling west to the intersection of Penn and Butler Street. Phase 4 work will also extend from the intersection of Penn and Ligonier Street, traveling southwest to the intersection of Ligonier and Liberty Avenue.