Phelan Way, known for having some of the most spectacularly bad pavement in Polish Hill, has been repaved.  Now it’s almost too nice; residents worry that cars will now be flying, as opposed to cautiously crawling through this narrow alley.  But just imagine what it would have been like when it wasn’t paved at all.  Above, Phelan as it appeared on September 11, 1907.  Quite recognizable, and a muddy mess.  Below, a little over a year later, on October 12, 1908, the street was finally paved.

We’re not sure how many times Phelan has been repaved since 1908.  Perhaps it could be guesstimated based on that peaked garage roof on the right, which is still there. (click on photos to see a larger image)

(photos from the Historic Pittsburgh image archive)