Had a pleasant surprise today riding north from UPMC on South Side Trail and crossing Hot Metal Street - the sidewalk entrance to the new trail segment that runs behind the American Eagle Outfitters building was open.
I poked around the back, it looked like the trail was open. There was one guy walking around, and another standing on a platform looking over the river.
Standing under the white canopies and looking up to the higher level, one sidewalk was open and one sidewalk was still snowfence closed.
I rode all the way through to the north end, where I found that the snow fence was down on the ground.
Here's a photo of dahntahn from a new vantage point:
Have we had an impromptu "soft opening" or did I just get there a few minutes after somebody took creative initiative?
I have been walking and riding through there for at least a month. I'm not sure if it's officially open, but it seems usable, so why not?
For some reason, there is a hydraulic spreader locked to a sign--you can see it in the bottom left corner.
Maybe the spreader is kind of like the shovels locked to the fences - left in place for exigencies. just kidding.
(really, no disrespect, I love the shovels and the environment that supports that kind of solution)
My picture in the Wheelset game from last night shows this view from the entrance off the street (link).
It looked quite open, aside from the rolled-away orange fencing. I didn't think anything of it at the time.
There is still a stupid fence between the Hot Metal Bridge and the trail, but you can just ride around the end of the ramp and go that way. It feels sort of like the trail is not open from American Eagle's point of view.
I just tried to go in about 30 minutes ago. There were construction workers and one of them gave me the stop and go back hand wave.
As someone who bikes to work along there on a regular basis, is the real estate reporter for the Pittsburgh Business Times, the offices for which are a floor below the owner of the development, I can't say I've been made aware of any "opening" for the park and trail. (While it is something I'd pay attention to, it is possible any announcement would slip through the cracks but unlikely.) The last time I paid any real attention to the status of the park and its opening was last summer. I'm pretty sure the issue all along has been determining who is going to pay for the park's maintenance, although my memory is a bit fuzzy that there may be aspects of the park still to be competed. The URA at one point wanted to set up a separate Neighborhood Improvement District for the South Side Works development, separate from the one for the rest of the South Side, as a funding mechanism for the park's maintenance. I have no idea where that plan stands at this point. My guess is it just seems open because nobody can be bothered enough to make sure it remains closed, save apparently for the construction workers on the hotel nearby.
So, what's up with this? I finally went through there to check it out today. looking at Vannevar's pic above, the actual trail bypasses that area but it's blocked off for no apparent reason. so you get piped up there and have to navigate a stupid narrow switchback. And the ramp to the bridge is still blocked but as stated it's not really a problem. What is the holdup?
Same question. I was in Pittsburgh yesterday at the SPC Bike/Ped Committee meeting and afterward went out there to go to REI. I decided to come back via the South Side trail to see what that new section is like. I couldn't get down to it from the outdoor deck at the Brauhuas so I doubled back to the entrance off the HMB. I had to navigate said switchback through an observation deck, and yes, it's narrow. Designed more for people walking than bikes. Measwhile as salty says, the trail runs down to your left and is blocked off. As far as I could tell, the blocked off section looks to be behind the Brauhuas, but I didn't get a good look because I was too busy focusing on getting through the observation deck switchback.
The fences were moved enough that you can avoid going through that switchback and go to the left path of the trail. At least they were on Sunday.
@boostuv -- While I didn't get a good look at it yesterday, it appeared at a glance that the fences were back across the entire trail yesterday. Can't say that for sure, though.
The fences were closed when I went through last night. The path, while nice, is really narrow. I doubt I will use it very much. It will be fun to people watch from Hofbrauhaus's bier garden though. 
I rode through there recently and it seems like the "aeo-hbh trail" (american eagle outfitters - hauf brau haus trail) is indeed open for walkers, buskers (saw a guy with a fiddle) etc.
However, there's the section where there's two routes - the higher, narrow switchback observation deck and the lower flow-through ramp which has a fence across it.
It seems like the closure of the lower ramp is to reduce traffic in proximity to the new construction site between AEA and HBH, so that kind of makes sense.
I agree that the narrow pedestrian switchback is not bike-optimal, but I'm glad to have it, too.
what sort of business is being built there between the two?
@dmtroyer: 'Tis a hotel, I believe.
In case anybody missed my thread above, I believe the formal opening of the riverfront park and trail at the SouthSide Works comes down to figuring out who is going to pay to maintain it, and, obviously, where the money is going to come from....plus maybe some extra park construction to come. This goes back to the same issue with the riverfront trail on the North Shore. If you visit the website for the Sports & Exhibition Authority, you'll find a plea to give a donation for a Riverfront Park Maintenance fund....since the money raised to build the park left nothing for upkeep and everyone involved is either too cheap or broke to pay for it. So please send your tax deductible check, not to the American Red Cross, or the Salvation Army or Care....but to the Sports & Exhibition Authority! So they can clean up all the goose shit so Steelers fans don't have to be grossed out walking to the games.
