Feds award $10M to stabilize Pittsburgh's Mt. Washington

Pittsburgh officials have spent a lot of time and money repairing landslides on Mt. Washington, which attracts millions of visitors annually for its dazzling view of Downtown.

On Monday, city officials announced they have received nearly $10 million in federal grant money to make repairs and drainage upgrades to fix the damage that’s been done from a decade’s worth of landslides.

“It will help us address the larger issues,” Pittsburgh council President Theresa Kail-Smith said. “It’s a huge help.”

City officials have lobbied for the federal support and worked to convince lawmakers to earmark money to address the problem.

“It’s a regional asset,” Kail-Smith said. “This is not just an infusion for a neighborhood, but for the entire city of Pittsburgh.”

About 2 million people visit the area of Grandview Avenue atop Mt. Washington each year, Kail-Smith said.

The neighborhood towers over Downtown Pittsburgh, is served by the Duquesne and Monongahela inclines and is home to several restaurants and the historic St. Mary of the Mount Church that’s a popular place for weddings.

One of the best ways the federal government can support the city is by helping to pay for such projects, Mayor Bill Peduto said.

The Mayor & @PghDOMI have announced #Pittsburgh has won a $10M grant to remediate landslides along historic Grandview Avenue in Mount Washington.

Following 10 years of repeated slides, the grant will fund mitigation & ensure future slope stability. https://t.co/gRojv8TLBK

— City of Pittsburgh (@Pittsburgh) December 7, 2020

“This is much-needed funding in what is obviously a very challenging time for the city budget,” Peduto spokesman Tim McNulty said. “It is one of the largest federal grants the city has ever received.”

The money will bolster the $22 million the city has budgeted to spend on landslide repair in the next five years, McNulty said.

“This project will help stabilize the slopes of Mt. Washington to ensure Pittsburghers’ safety,” U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Forest Hills, said. “I will continue to work to secure additional federal assistance for preventing and remediating landslides in Pittsburgh.”

The money is from the Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency. It will pay for construction of retaining walls and other work to stabilize the slopes on the hillside.

It also will improve drainage in the area to prevent seepage into the underlying soil that contributes to instability, the city said. It will focus on Grandview Avenue, Greenleaf Street and William Street, each of which have been damaged by previous landslides.