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Penn Avenue Pipe Replacement Project

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.

  • We're replacing pipes, not just repairing them.
  • We're helping the environment by reducing methane.
  • We're ensuring our customers have access to a clean, reliable energy source.

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 three 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 1-888-764-0111 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 on March 11, 2024 and concluded on August 8. 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 on August 12, 2024, and construction was completed in April 2025. Restoration is now taking place.

In order to safely restore Penn Ave, we will need to close the road during work hours. 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.

Peoples and our contractors will work weekends beginning May 10, 2025 to perform concrete base repair on Penn Avenue from Friendship Avenue to North Mathilda Street. DOMI has approved work hours of 6 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays beginning May 10. Note crews will not work on Memorial Day weekend (May 24-26). While the road will be closed, sidewalks will be open and businesses are able to operate (check with individual businesses for their operating hours). Gas and other utility services should not be affected by this work.

Please note: This work schedule is tentative and subject to change based on weather and other factors.

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. A tentative schedule follows:

  • Area 1: Penn Avenue, 45th Street to Main Street – approximately 5 weeks
  • Area 2: Penn Avenue, Main Street to 39th Street – approximately 7 weeks
  • Area 3: 39th Street, Penn Avenue to Liberty Avenue – approximately 5 weeks
  • Area 4: Liberty Avenue, 38th Street to Bloomfield Bridge – approximately 8 weeks

This schedule is subject to change based on weather 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.

 

FAQs

Peoples’ work on Penn Avenue is a long-term investment in your community, but we recognize it may not be easy to live and work through. We’re here to help you understand more about the project, our plans, and the benefits behind it. If you have additional questions, please reach out to communications@peoples-gas.com and we will have our Construction Supervisor overseeing the project get in touch with you. You can also seek out the Peoples inspector on site during working hours and speak directly with him.

How will this project affect me?

We’re committed to conducting these projects as swiftly as possible, with minimal disruptions. Once we replace the old pipes with the new ones, we'll repair your street. Your street will look the same as it always has – in some cases, it may look even better! Learn more about What You Should Know

Construction typically occurs between the hours of 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

If we need to temporarily block access to a street or driveway, our crew can help you gain safe access – just let them know. We will work with your community to minimize the inconvenience, and we appreciate your patience. Your safety is always our priority throughout this project.

There are times we may need to briefly turn off your gas service. If so, we will contact you to schedule the work and make arrangements to test your house lines, perform necessary safety checks, and turn your service back on. We will need to be inside your home or business to perform safety checks and services like turning on your gas and relighting your appliances. Please note that someone 18 years or older must be at your home or business when we need access, and all pets must be secured when we’re working on your meter and turning your gas back on.

How can I identify your employees and contractors?

Our employees and contractors can be identified by marked vehicles. They may be from Peoples or one of our contractors, Proline Construction, ALL Ways Safe, Inc., and Lindy Paving. All employees should identify themselves and carry ID cards. They will gladly show these upon request.

Will I have to pay extra for this project?

No, you won’t have to pay for this project. The cost of building, maintaining, and upgrading our gas line system is shared among our entire customer base.

What steps are involved in replacing pipes?

A great deal of planning and coordination goes into replacing aged infrastructure with new pipelines. Peoples and its contractors strive to ensure each project is as efficient as possible, working closely with local and state officials to attain the required permits. Work is planned with safety at the forefront to avoid impacting other underground utilities such as water, electric and telecommunications. 

On large, complex projects like Penn Avenue, work is divided into smaller segments to keep road closures as small as possible. Learn more about Street Work  Crews will cautiously excavate, place the new pipe, backfill around it and perform temporary restoration work. Then, they move on to the next segment, repeating the above process until all new main line has been installed. Customer service lines along the route of a new main line are assessed and replaced as needed at no cost to the customer. At this point, crews “tie in” the new pipeline to the existing main line. After successfully performing safety checks, the new line is energized, and gas begins flowing through it. The old lines are disconnected, capped, and abandoned in place.  

During the final stages of the above process, service may be temporarily disconnected for customers. Peoples strives to restore service as quickly as possible. As part of our commitment to safety, our Field Customer Service technicians will visit each customer and conduct a safety check of all outdoor and indoor customer piping and appliances before gas service is restored to a home or business.