Flood Gates Tested on Low-Lying Pittsburgh Road

Pittsburgh Public Safety officials have been testing an automatic gate system on a low-lying Pittsburgh street where flash flooding killed four people in August.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has said it will spend about $450,000 on the gates that will close Washington Boulevard in the event of heavy rains. Two of the gates will be on Washington Boulevard and the third on Highland Avenue near where it intersects with the busy, low-lying boulevard.

Sensors will close the gates if a certain amount of water is detected on the road and emergency responders will automatically be alerted.

Four people died when flash floods swept water 10 feet deep down the road as heavy rains overwhelmed storm drains on Aug. 19.

The city is also training about 1,700 public safety employees in swift-water rescue tactics.