Reply to Segment closure near Pitt

Is there any update on the trail closure at Duquesne? Are you able to pass through the work? We are planning on getting in the trail Saturday morning and want to prepare as best we can.

Whn I rode by there today, the trail closure you refer to is still in place and there is no update on the GAP website as to if or when it will reopen other than the original two-week prognosis.. There is actually a tall, locked fence gate at the base of the Whitaker flyover ramp which doesn’t enable you to skirt around it to continue on the trail toward the area of construction. If you’re willing to accept the risk, you can exit the trail at the east end of the Waterfront shopping center and continue to Duquesne on State Rt 837/River Road/Kennywood Blvd. The traffic on that road is heavy and fast with no or narrow shoulders. I certainly don’t recommend that as a safe alternative.

I’ll check on the status of the closure on Friday or sooner and provide another reply to your inquiry. Stay tuned. If needed, I may be able to assist you in shuttling between Homestead and Duquesne. (No charge.)

Thank you so much for all of the info! We are hoping that Friday will be the end of the “2 week work week” but can’t rely on that being the case with construction. We are used to riding heavier trafficked roads but 837 doesn’t seem like a good one to be on. But maybe 2.5 miles wouldn’t be too bad. I’ll check back for an update if you are able to check it out again. I really appreciate all the help!

To Scott B. From Columbus

As of 3:00 PM today, the trail is still closed. The entry gate to the Whitaker Flyover ramp remains closed and locked and all the yard signs along the trail out of Pittsburgh announcing the closure remain. Further the Gaptrail.org website today has no update to the original two-week closure announcement.

To refresh my recollection of the suspect road bypass route, I drove along it this afternoon. It would be 3.5 miles to Grant Avenue in Duquesne where you could first return to the trail. While there is perhaps a mile or so of a rather wide shoulder or sidewalk along the highway, the balance of the distance has virtually no shoulder and the traffic runs 45 to 50 mph in those stretches.

One alternative might be to start your trip in Duquesne if you were reasonably able to do so. Of course you could also get a shuttle around the detour. There were a couple of shuttle source links in the original trail closure notice. Also, my offer to shuttle you around the detour stands albeit with some caveats. My rack only holds two non-E-bikes (road, gravel or mountain. I could make a couple of trips if there are more than two in your party. I probably couldn’t fit trailers in the car. That said, I’d be happy to help if I can. If you want to explore my offer further drop me an email at rivnuts@yahoo.com to work out a plan and time. I live in Homestead so departing from there is very easy for me but could also depart from other places without any trouble.

For info the weekend looks dry in the area with temps only in the 40’s tomorrow and warmer on Sunday.

Best Wishes

I really appreciate the detailed update on the closure. I am bummed it is still closed in such a tricky section but I’m sure the work will make the trail safer for future riders. We will just opt to start at the park and ride down in Duquesne for simplicity. Thanks again for all the info I have found on this forum. I’m excited for my first GAP/ C&O trip. I’m sure I’ll be back to check off those first 13.5 miles!

This closed GAP Trail segment between Homestead and Duquesne was reopened yesterday. Good news for local and touring cyclists.