WASHINGTON —Two local lawmakers are helping find a way to reconnect two Pittsburgh neighborhoods on the North Side separated by a major highway.

The major investment aims to work towards a reunion of the Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Manchester and Chateau, currently separated by Route 65. Few places exist where you can cross underneath the road to reach one neighborhood from the other.

Sen. Bob Casey and Rep. Summer Lee, both Democrats, have announced an investment of $1.4 million from 2021’s bipartisan infrastructure law. The money would go to the city of Pittsburgh and Manchester Citizens Corporation to study ways to reunite the neighborhoods with little impact to Route 65.

“The North Side is a vibrant and historic section of Pittsburgh, but neighborhoods like Manchester have suffered from harmful infrastructure decisions that divided and isolated the community,” Casey said. “I was proud to advocate for this project to receive funding from the infrastructure law, which will bring Pittsburgh one step closer to righting historical wrongs and connecting residents to more economic opportunities.”

Lee said, “Black, brown and working-class communities in Pittsburgh have suffered from the legacy of redlining and disinvestment that’s left folks in our North Side neighborhood isolated for far too long. I was sent to Congress to right wrongs like this one because our economic future depends on us building a Pittsburgh that’s livable, safe, and accessible for all people.”

This announcement is part of the Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities Pilot program.

Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 has told you about projects planned for that area, including Esplanade, which would bring a combination of residential, commercial and green space.

Construction is slated to begin sometime next year.

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