On Monday, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf joined local, state and federal leaders to celebrate infrastructure investments during a ribbon cutting at I-579 CAP Park, renamed the Frankie Pace Park.
The ribbon cutting signified the completion of a project that connects the Hill District in Pittsburgh to the downtown area through the park, as well as improves public transportation, the governor’s office said.
“This project is a fantastic example of what we can accomplish when we come together to invest in our infrastructure,” said Gov. Wolf. “An investment in infrastructure is an investment in communities and the people who bring them to life. This is what innovative, ambitious, community-centered infrastructure investment looks like, and my administration was proud to support this project through state investment.”
During its original construction, I-579 severed the connection between the Hill District and downtown Pittsburgh. The I-579 CAP project reestablished that connection through the construction of the 3-acre Frankie Pace Park that includes accessible pedestrian pathways, bicycle routes, and recreation and education areas.
Funded with $5.23 million in RACP funding, $650,000 in Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Multimodal Transportation Funds, $1.35 million in Commonwealth Financing Authority funding and $500,000 in grant funding from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Keystone Fund, the park will address the challenges in the community, spur economic and community development, strengthen transportation networks and boost the state’s economy, Wolf said.