Boulevard of the Allies

Boulevard of the Allies
Skyline of downtown Pittsburgh, as seen from the Boulevard of the Allies.
Maintained byCity of Pittsburgh, PennDOT
Length3.32 mi (5.34 km)
Component
highways
PA 885 from I-579 to Bates Street
LocationDowntown PittsburghOakland, Pennsylvania, U.S.
West endCommonwealth Place in Pittsburgh
Major
junctions
Stanwix Street in Pittsburgh
I-376 / US 22 / US 30 (Penn-Lincoln Parkway) / Grant Street / 2nd Avenue / Court Place in Pittsburgh

I-579 (Crosstown Boulevard) in Pittsburgh
I-376 / US 22 / US 30 (Penn-Lincoln Parkway) in Pittsburgh


PA 885 south in Pittsburgh
East endPanther Hollow Road in Pittsburgh
NorthThird Avenue/Fourth Avenue
SouthFort Pitt Boulevard

The Boulevard of the Allies is a mostly four-lane road in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, connecting Downtown Pittsburgh with the Oakland neighborhood of the city. Because of its lengthy name, locals sometimes refer to it as simply "The Boulevard".[dubiousdiscuss]

Some sections are part of Pennsylvania Route 885. The road begins in Downtown Pittsburgh at its intersection with Commonwealth Place and an offramp from Interstate 279. The road continues east through Downtown passing Point Park University and the former Art Institute of Pittsburgh building to Grant Street where it becomes elevated to transition from the flat plain of Downtown to the bluff that Oakland sits on. Before reaching Oakland, it passes by Duquesne University and Mercy Hospital along the edge of a cliff several hundred feet above the Monongahela River with views of the city's South Side neighborhood and includes partial interchanges with Interstate 579 and Interstate 376. At its interchange with I-579, the road is split; westbound traffic must exit from the road onto I-579 or the Liberty Bridge. The second westbound portion of Boulevard of the Allies is only accessible via an entrance ramp from the Liberty Bridge. Upon reaching Oakland, it cuts through the southern portion of the neighborhood and leads into Schenley Park just bypassing the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University. Upon entering the park across the Anderson Bridge, the road's name changes to Panther Hollow Road (named after Panther Hollow) and continues through the park to become Hobart Street in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood east of Schenley Park.

The road is named in honor of the Allies of World War I. The Boulevard of the Allies was rededicated on June 29, 2008 as part of the celebration of Pittsburgh's 250th anniversary. As part of the rededication, American flags have been added on both sides of the boulevard as it elevates toward the Liberty Bridge ramp and thirty temporary banners celebrating the Allies of World War I have been affixed, following the road to its end.