Federal transportation officials announced this afternoon a $19 million grant to help reunite the historic Hill District with Downtown Pittsburgh.
The long-sought money, awarded through the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER, program, will help build a deck over Crosstown Boulevard. That’s part of a plan proposed by the Pittsburgh Penguins to rebuild the street grid on the former Civic Arena site and tie the area directly into the Hill.
Hill residents lost their direct connection to Downtown in redevelopment more than 50 years ago. Construction on the $26.4 million deck is expected to begin next summer or fall and take two years to complete.