Allegheny County Department of Public Works – Pittsburgh, PA

Allegheny County Public Works

Infrastructure and Engineering

The Allegheny County Department of Public Works is headquartered in the County Office Building on Forbes Avenue. This department is distinct from the city’s public works agency and is specifically responsible for the maintenance and improvement of county-owned infrastructure. The scale of their operation is massive, covering over 408 miles of roadway and more than 500 bridges and culverts throughout the region, including the iconic ”Three Sisters” bridges (Roberto Clemente, Andy Warhol, and Rachel Carson) spanning the Allegheny River. Their mission is to ensure safe, efficient, and reliable transportation networks for the county’s 1.2 million residents.

• Engineering and Construction: Manages the design, bidding, and oversight of major capital improvement projects, such as bridge rehabilitations and road paving.
• Maintenance Operations: Deploys crews from seven regional districts to handle pothole repairs, vegetation control, and drainage issues.
• Snow and Ice Control: Coordinates a fleet of heavy trucks to plow and salt county-maintained arterials during winter storms.
• Fleet Management: Maintains over 800 vehicles and pieces of heavy equipment used by various county departments.
• Permitting: Issues Highway Occupancy Permits for construction work or special events that impact county rights-of-way.

Public Services and Contact

Residents are often unsure whether a road is maintained by the City, the County, or the State (PennDOT). The Department of Public Works offers a ”Who Owns My Road?” map and hotline to assist with this. While the garages are scattered throughout the county, the downtown office handles administrative inquiries, contract management, and engineering consultations. The department is APWA Accredited, signifying it meets high national standards for public works agencies. Visitors to the County Office Building must clear security screening at the entrance.