The article below is from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette
PennDOT, Allegheny County and the city of Pittsburgh announced that charitable contributions are being made to two Hill District organizations stemming from the I-579 CAP project connecting Downtown with the neighborhood.
In late November the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials awarded the I-579 CAP project the national grand prize in the 2022 America’s Transportation Awards competition. The award includes a $10,000 cash prize to support a charity or transportation-related scholarship. Other groups involved in the project raised an additional $63,000 that will be donated to Ozanam Inc. and ACH Clear Pathways located in the Hill District, according to a news release.
The project created a public park with pedestrian pathways over Interstate 579 to reconnect a neighborhood that had been cut off from Downtown by the construction of the Civic Arena and highways.
The new greenspace is now called Frankie Mae Pace Park in honor of a longtime Hill District supporter.
“This project shows what transportation can be at its best,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian in the news release. “I’m so proud that we received the America’s Transportation Award, and that we’re able to pay it forward to organizations making a real difference in this community.”
The following organizations provided charitable donations in addition to the AASHTO $10,000 grand prize award: Allegheny County, Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation, F.N.B Corporation, HDR, Inc., S&B USA Construction, Michael Baker International, SAI Consulting Engineers, Monaloh Basin Engineers, AGES Engineering, LLC and Collective Efforts, LLC.
Ozanam, Inc. offers boys and girls educational programming, athletic competition, social and cultural activities and exchanges and academic support services. ACH Clear Pathways provides youth and families with visual and performing arts programming and serves as an artistic hub.
Post-Gazette.com