Commuters coming into Pittsburgh this week during the NFL draft will need to pay attention to traffic, road closures and changes to public transit.
People are urged to take public transportation instead of driving when the draft is in town from Wednesday through Saturday. But if you still need to drive in for work, or you usually take public transit, here’s what to know.
Road closures during the draft
Several roads will be closed this week, with most closures focused around the draft campus near Point State Park and Downtown Pittsburgh. Most of the road closures are set for Wednesday through Saturday.
Perhaps the biggest closures for commuters will be parts of Liberty Avenue and Penn Avenue. Several bridges, including the Smithfield Street Bridge, Roberto Clemente Bridge, and Andy Warhol Bridge, will close. A handful of ramps around the Fort Pitt Bridge and Fort Duquesne Bridge will also shut down.
A map of road closures for Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday can be found below.
(Photo: Visit Pittsburgh)
Public transit for commuters during the draft
Pittsburgh Regional Transit said it’s expanding service to accommodate visitors and commuters, with extra light rail service to Downtown and the North Shore.
PRT says it will run two-car trains on the Blue Line and Red Line every 15 minutes from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. during the three-day draft. The Silver Line will run every 30 minutes between Library and Washington Junction.
Most bus routes from Wednesday until Saturday will operate on Saturday-level service. A list of routes and how they’ll operate during those three days can be found on PRT’s website.
“Far fewer folks are going to be coming in, and this lets us focus on the trips we can do and these extra shuttles and guarantee it,” PRT CEO Katharine Kelleman said about routes operating on a Saturday schedule.
“We want to help the draft, but we want to get everyone to work too,” Kelleman added.
Parking during the draft
Parking garages and lots are expected to fill up quickly, with spots going at a premium. Visit Pittsburgh recommends people reserve parking spots.
People who don’t want to pay can consider parking at a free park-and-ride and taking the light rail in.
