Smithfield Street Reconstruction Begins Downtown

Work is underway on a new chapter for Smithfield Street. Pittsburgh officials broke ground September 22 beneath the Kaufmann's Clock on the first phase of a reconstruction that will reshape the Downtown corridor between Forbes Avenue and Sixth Avenue. Mayor Corey O'Connor, Councilman Bobby Wilson and Department of Mobility and Infrastructure Director Jeff Skalican joined Downtown stakeholders for the event. The project reaches beyond fresh pavement: the city plans expanded sidewalks, new curbs, pedestrian safety bump-outs, landscaping, updated signs and markings, and infrastructure for improved lighting. The existing transit-only lane will remain.

Starting with the Blocks People Use Every Day

The first construction segment covers Smithfield between Forbes and Sixth, close to stores, bus stops, the Pittsburgh Playhouse and the former Kaufmann's department store. The city expects this phase to take 18 to 24 months. Later phases are planned south toward Fort Pitt Boulevard and north toward Liberty Avenue, but the city has not announced completion dates for those segments. That distinction matters for anyone following the project: this week's groundbreaking starts a defined first phase, while the full corridor remains a longer-term undertaking.

The design aims to make walking along Smithfield more comfortable and crossing it safer. Wider sidewalks could create more room for the everyday activity that gives a commercial street its value: people arriving by transit, pausing at a storefront, or moving between Downtown destinations. Those are intended benefits, not guaranteed outcomes. Construction also brings a period of disruption for the businesses and riders who already rely on the street. The city's schedule and future traffic notices will be important to watch as work advances block by block.

A Street Project Tied to Downtown's Next Uses

Smithfield's surroundings are changing along with its roadway. Point Park University recently purchased the former CVS building at Forbes and Smithfield, next to its Pittsburgh Playhouse, though the university has not yet announced a specific use for the property. Farther south, the historic tower at 4 Smithfield Street is being converted into Smithfield Lofts, a 46-apartment project that includes affordable homes. Those separate investments help explain why the street itself is receiving attention: Downtown is being asked to serve more residents, students and visitors alongside its traditional office and retail uses.

The reconstruction also follows the Downtown Mobility Plan developed with the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership and the Department of City Planning. City officials describe Smithfield as one of that plan's nine high-impact priorities. According to the city's September 22 project announcement, federal sources provide 80 percent of the funding and local sources 20 percent. GFT Infrastructure is responsible for design and engineering, Merante Contracting for construction, and Michael Baker International for construction management. The city has a project information page for residents and businesses tracking the work.

For Pittsburgh, the promise is straightforward: a central street that works better for the people who use it now and the people who may live, shop and gather there in years ahead. Its success will be measured in the details of construction, access and the finished public space, not in the groundbreaking ceremony alone. The first blocks are now in motion, giving Downtown a concrete test of how public infrastructure can support the private investments taking shape around it.