Category: News || By Staff Reports

River Road Closure Slated Monday: River Road in Port Vue and Bettis Road in West Mifflin will close next week for repairs.

A spokesman for the state Department of Transportation says CSX Railroad will be reconstructing the River Road crossing under the 15th Avenue Bridge. The closure begins Monday morning and continues through Friday night.

The suggested detour takes motorists down Walnut Street.

Tube City Almanac complained to the state Public Utility Commission about the condition of the railroad crossing in 2006, prompting the railroad to make temporary repairs.

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Bettis Road Shut Through October: Meanwhile, replacement of a dangerous bridge near West Mifflin Borough Park will close Bettis Road through much of the year.

Bettis Road will close Monday as PennDOT begins replacing a narrow span over the Union Railroad.

In addition, a PennDOT spokesman said several hundred feet of Bettis Road on each side of the bridge will be reconstructed to make the approaches safer and smoother. Cars must essentially come to a complete stop before crossing the current span, which is one of 6,000 statewide rated "structurally deficient."

General contractor on the $1.4 million project is Mingo Creek Construction Co. of Meadow Lands, Washington County.

Bettis Road is expected to be closed through mid-October, according to PennDOT. The recommended detour involves Pittsburgh-McKeesport Boulevard, Buttermilk Hollow Road, Thompson Run Road and Homestead-Duquesne Road.

About 4,100 cars daily use Bettis Road, while about 1,200 daily use River Road, according to PennDOT traffic volume maps.

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Trail Dedication Slated: McKeesport Trail Commission, the city's Redevelopment Authority and elected officials will hold a formal dedication at 12 noon April 30 for the new sections of the hiking-biking trail along the Youghiogheny River.

The biking trail was recently realigned and resurfaced from Kane Regional Hospital through Gergely Riverfront Park to Lysle Boulevard.

In addition, the new "McKees Point Trail" now allows visitors to go all the way to the Youghiogheny's mouth at the Monongahela River for the first time since the 1960s.

In addition, the city also will hold a ceremonial groundbreaking for the relocation of the bike trail between Ninth and 15th avenues in the Third Ward. Part of the Great Allegheny Passage between Pittsburgh and Cumberland, Md., the trail is being moved to Market Street and away from the site of a planned regional courthouse and public-safety building along Walnut Street.

The combined events will be held near the McKees Point Marina at the foot of Fifth Avenue, and are open to the public.

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Scholarship Aimed at VFD Members: Volunteer firefighters are encouraged to apply before May 15 for a scholarship that provides free training at Community College of Allegheny County.

Sponsored by the Allegheny County Fire Academy, CCAC and the county executive's office, the Allegheny County Fire Volunteer Education, Service & Training Scholarship Program, or FireVEST, provides 200 full scholarships for either associate's degrees or certificate programs.

Recipients must guarantee at least five years of service to a volunteer fire department in Allegheny County, with 150 of the scholarships earmarked for new recruits and 50 awarded to existing volunteers.

The scholarships also pay for training at the county Fire Academy.

Allegheny County has 203 volunteer fire departments, and county officials say their service saves taxpayers collectively more than $60 million.

"Volunteer fire departments have many positions that require a very specific sets of skills," says Allegheny County Councilman Nick Futules, a Verona Democrat. "If accepted to the program, volunteers can attend CCAC, basically for free, and receive a degree."

According to CCAC, past FireVEST recipients have earned degrees or certificates in criminal justice, business, nursing and other fields.

Some restrictions apply and recipients must maintain C-average grades or better. For more information, visit the CCAC website or call the county Fire Academy at (412) 931-3158, extension 5.

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