Pittsburgh Route 65 Design Workshop Set For Wednesday

Pittsburgh residents will get a chance Wednesday evening to weigh in on the future of State Route 65, the elevated highway that has long separated Manchester from Chateau. A free public design workshop is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. at Manchester Citizens Corporation.

The City of Pittsburgh shared the reminder Tuesday after PLANPGH announced the gathering. The event is open to everyone and will include giveaways, food and entertainment, making this one transportation meeting with a little more going for it than fluorescent lights and a sad coffee urn.

What The Route 65 Workshop Will Shape

The workshop is part of the City of Pittsburgh’s “Manchester Reunited” feasibility study, which is examining design alternatives for the roughly one-mile stretch of SR-65 that divides Manchester and Chateau. The City’s EngagePGH project page says the broader study area covers about three miles of the expressway, from I-279 North to the McKees Rocks Bridge.

The goal is to identify ways to improve safety, accessibility, mobility and economic connections between the neighborhoods, while considering the needs of drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and transit users. The city also emphasizes that this is a planning study, not an announcement that construction is about to begin, and says the work is expected to continue through September 2026.

A Highway That Split A Historic Community

SR-65 was built on a viaduct as tall as 40 feet above surrounding streets, with only two openings beneath it for east-west travel, according to the city’s project materials. A U.S. Department of Transportation fact sheet describes Manchester and Chateau as a once-contiguous community divided by the highway and identifies the Pittsburgh study as a $1.432 million Reconnecting Communities Pilot planning grant.

The effort builds on years of neighborhood planning focused on safer crossings, underpass improvements, green corridors and stronger links to the riverfront. Pittsburgh’s Manchester-Chateau plan specifically calls for a new vision for the SR-65 network.

Workshop Details For Manchester Residents

The free workshop will run from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, August 5, at Manchester Citizens Corporation in Pittsburgh. Organizers are inviting residents, business owners and anyone interested in how the corridor could reconnect Manchester, Chateau and nearby destinations.

Residents who cannot attend in person can also share feedback through the city’s online SR-65 engagement page. The project team says additional opportunities for public input will be held as the feasibility study moves toward design alternatives.