Stevenson Street to face closures in coming months

Sydney Bauer | Staff Photographer Stevenson Street will be under construction starting around March 2017.
Sydney Bauer | Staff Photographer
Stevenson Street will be under construction starting around March 2017.

Brandon Addeo | News Editor

If you use Stevenson Street on the east side of campus in your daily commute, you’ll have to take a detour in the coming months.

New Jersey-based NRG Energy is completing a construction project with UPMC Mercy Hospital which will require construction on Stevenson Street beginning in early March and lasting through November. Stevenson Street will face partial or full closures during the construction process, according to NRG spokesman David Gaier.

NRG is building a District Energy Center at the former Civic Arena site, which will provide energy to Mercy, and will be installing chilled water piping, steam piping and and wiring for an emergency power conduit, Gaier said.

“This NRG initiative supports Mayor Peduto’s vision to significantly expand district energy throughout Pittsburgh, improving energy efficiency and lowering the City’s [sic] carbon footprint,” Gaier wrote in an email.

Aside from the sporadic closures on Stevenson Street, Duquesne will “not be affected,” according to Bill Zilcosky, director of building services for Duquesne Facilities Management.

Zilcosky said NRG updates Duquesne on the project on a weekly basis and that NRG will work with the city authorities on rerouting traffic.