Environmentally Preferred Build Alternative

As a result of comments received from the public, local community groups and suggestions presented by elected officials, the Project team conducted in-depth environmental reviews of several alternative alignments and has identified the A5 South, B4 West and C6 alignments as the environmentally preferred alternative in the DEIS. If the PA Project is authorized to move forward into the next phase of development, the environmentally preferred alternative will undergo additional study, detailed analysis and further refinement. The 54-mile corridor was divided into three sections for planning and study purposes - Pittsburgh International Airport to Downtown Pittsburgh (Section A), Downtown Pittsburgh to Monroeville (Section B), and Monroeville to Greensburg (Section C) and will take less than 35 minutes to travel including stops from start to end. Each section was evaluated for impacts to natural resources, social and cultural features, as well as engineering feasibility, operational characteristics and compliance with high-speed maglev regulations. The environmentally preferred alternative is shown on the map in green along with the proposed stations. Detailed Mapping of the environmentally preferred build alternative can be found by going to Chapter 11 of the DEIS. Click here to go to the DEIS Table of Contents and see Chapter 11-0, Plates.

Segment A

The environmentally preferred alignment in Section A: is A5 South (shown in green). A5 South is approximately 17.6 miles (28.3 km) long and would provide passenger service from a proposed station at the Pittsburgh International Airport Landside Terminal to a proposed station in Downtown Pittsburgh near Mellon Arena and the Steel Plaza Subway Station. Passengers would board a maglev vehicle at the station located at the Landside Terminal or the Enlow Road Station located south of the PA Route 60 Airport entrance. The A5 South alternative alignment would leave the proposed station and follows PA Route 60. The alignment would depart from the PA Route 60 corridor where it intersects Business Route 60. The alternative alignment would then follow Chartiers Valley through Moon, Robinson and Kennedy townships to McKees Rocks Borough and the City of Pittsburgh. Near Station Square, it would follow the south shore of the Ohio and Monongahela rivers to a new river crossing between the Panhandle and Liberty bridges. After crossing the Monongahela River, it would continue through Downtown over Crosstown Boulevard to a station near Mellon Arena and the Steel Plaza Subway Station. Detailed Mapping of the environmentally preferred build alternative A5 South in the airport to Findlay Township area can be found by clicking here and from the Findlay Township area to Downtown Pittsburgh by clicking here.

Segment B

The environmentally preferred alignment in Section B:is B4 West (shown in green). B4 West is approximately 17.5 miles (28.1 km) long and begins at the proposed station in Downtown Pittsburgh. It ends at the proposed Thompson Run Station in Penn Hills. The alignment would follow the existing Martin Luther King, Jr. East Busway from Downtown Pittsburgh, proceed north through the Strip District and then northeast along the Allegheny Valley Railroad. The alternative alignment follows the Allegheny Valley Railroad along the south side of the Allegheny River through Penn Hills to the Borough of Verona. The rail corridor and the proposed alternative alignment also parallel PA Route 130 (Allegheny River Boulevard) from PA Route 8 (Washington Boulevard) into Verona. The proposed alternative alignment would leave the existing rail corridor at Verona, near Plum Creek. From Verona, the proposed alternative alignment would head east, through Plum Borough, following the west side of the Pennsylvania Turnpike to the existing Union Railroad corridor to the Thompson Run Station in Penn Hills. There are no river crossings associated with this alternative alignment. Detailed Mapping of the environmentally preferred build alternative B4 West from Downtown Pittsburgh to the Municipality of Penn Hills can be found by clicking here and from the Penn Hills area to the Monroeville area by clicking here.

Segment C

The environmentally preferred alignment in Section C: is C6 (shown in green). C6 is approximately19 miles (30.6 km) long and begins at the Thompson Run Station. It ends at a proposed station near the highway interchange of PA Route 136 and Toll Route 66 southeast of Greensburg in Westmoreland County. The C6 alternative alignment exits the Thompson Run Station proceeds along 1-376 (Parkway East) through Monroeville and then follows the Pennsylvania Turnpike through Penn Township and Manor Borough to North Huntington Township. It crosses U.S. Route 30 in North Huntington Township just east of the Irwin Turnpike interchange and parallels the Turnpike to SR 3071 (Henry Long Road) where it follows PA Route 136 to the proposed station in Hempfield Township near Toll Route 66/SR 136. Detailed Mapping of the environmentally preferred build alternative C6 in the Monroeville to Penn Township area can be found by clicking here, from Penn Township to North Huntington Township by clicking here and from North Huntington Township to Hempfield Township by clicking here.

AERIAL ALIGNMENT MAPPING

Aerial maps of the alignments are available for viewing in Chapter 11 of the DEIS. Click here to go to the DEIS Table of Contents and see Chapter 11-0, Plates.