South Park Children's Playground
Sister Bridges Rehabilitation
Courthouse Roof Replacement
Allegheny County is committed to maintaining critical infrastructure that shapes and supports the area. Large-scale capital projects provide an opportunity for reinvestment in local programs, roads, parks, and buildings throughout the county, which benefits visitors and residents alike. Review the archive of recently completed projects in Allegheny County.
The Children’s Playground in South Park, located at the intersection of Brownsville Rd and Corrigan Dr., was renovated and reopened to the public in December 2023. The site work construction was awarded to Mare Solutions Inc., and took approximately 5 months. The KOMPAN brand playground equipment installation was completed by AllPlay+, and the playground safety surface was installed by ForeverLawn. The site design was completed by the Allegheny County Department of Parks, along with engineering support from KU Resources.
The previous playground was nearly 30 years old and replaced entirely, along with new paths, seating, stairs, retaining walls, and landscape improvements. The project features nature-inspired playground equipment, built from black locust lumber, a naturally rot-resistant wood species, and showcases locally sourced sandstone and native plant species. A stone and wood shelter at the playground site, believed to have been built in 1940, was incorporated into the new design. The site’s parking lot also had a major makeover. Nearly 30,000sf of asphalt paving was removed and replaced with green space. This also included 133 new trees, which will significantly reduce polluted storm-water runoff to nearby Catfish Run.
The project also received a $ 500,000.00 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Community Conservation Partnerships Program.
For over a century, Allegheny County has been proud to maintain Pittsburgh's iconic Roberto Clemente, Andy Warhol, and Rachel Carson Bridges, collectively known as the Sister Bridges.
Completed work on the Roberto Clemente (Sixth Street), Andy Warhol (Seventh Street), and Rachel Carson (Ninth Street) Bridges during the project included the cleaning of the pylons and piers, placement of rock scour protection around the piers, repainting of the Fort Duquesne Boulevard handrails, and the installation of an enhanced lighting system that can be programmed with custom light displays to reflect events and significant times within the city.
The Sister Bridges are a critical junction in the flow of traffic and infrastructure across the Allegheny River between the Downtown and North Shore neighborhoods of Pittsburgh.
The Allegheny County Courthouse, a National Historic Landmark, was designed in 1883 by Boston architect Henry Hobson Richardson. Among the most impressive features are the bell tower, rising 326 feet, as well as the picturesque silhouettes of the roof lines, smaller towers and turrets.
The Courthouse roof, which is original to the building, is covered with approximately 454,000 terra cotta tiles, which have been weathered and damaged over the past 130 years. The roof replacement, completed by Franco Associates, included removing all original tiles, inspecting steel framing and supports, and installing plywood, ice and water shields, and felt paper for long-term repair. The project was completed by installing new terra cotta tiles made by the original manufacturer, Ludowici Roof Tile.
Additionally, Franco Associates repaired and repointed the Courthouse’s three towers, which include the bell tower on Grant Street and two smaller towers on Ross Street. The tower roofs are unique because they are made of granite slabs. Crews accomplished the work by repelling from the tops of the towers.