Pittsburgh PENNDOT Traffic News Releases

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is advising motorists work to install median cable guide rail on Route 28 (Allegheny Valley Expressway) between the Creighton (Exit 13) and Tarentum (Exit 14) interchanges in East Deer and Fawn townships and the borough of Tarentum, Allegheny County, will continue on Monday, July 7, 2008.

To allow the necessary work to occur, left lane closures will occur daily in both directions on Route 28 through Thursday, July 10, 2008. Traffic will not be restricted during peak periods northbound and southbound. Any necessary restrictions and lane closures will occur according to the following schedule:

Northbound (outbound):

·        6 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Southbound (inbound):

·        11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The lane closures are necessary as crews install a high tension cable barrier system and guide rail in the median on Route 28 as a safety improvement to prevent crossover crashes.

The prime contractor for the $225,000 project is Green Acres Contracting Co. Inc. of Scottdale, PA. PennDOT advises motorists to slow down and use caution when traveling through the area.  Work zone safety is everyone’s responsibility. 

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is advising motorists single lane traffic will occur on the inbound (eastbound) Parkway West (I-279/Route 22/30) between Boyce Road and the I-79 interchange in Robinson Township, Allegheny County, weather permitting, on Thursday, July 3, 2008. 

Any necessary lane closures will only occur between 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursday. Crews will be repairing guiderail and crash attenuators along a quarter mile of the Parkway West.  Motorists should be prepared for possible delays and changing traffic patterns. Slow down and be safe.

The work is part of the $67.5 million I-79 Parkway West “missing ramps” project. The project is constructing two ramps connecting I-79 to the Parkway West (I-279/Route 22/30). The project will also widen existing ramps, construct two bridge structures, one culvert, two retaining walls, add highway lighting, increase the existing intelligent transportation system, install variable message signs and cameras, drainage, guide rail, traffic signal work, signing, pavement markings, rumble strips and other miscellaneous construction. Construction will conclude in 2009. The prime contractor for the project is Balfour Beatty Construction, Inc. of Canonsburg, PA.

Visit www.dot.state.pa.us/district11 for more information on PennDOT District 11. 

Pittsburgh, PA – District 11 is advising motorists that work to improve two bridges that carry Pollock Store Road and Brent Road over I-79 in Plain Grove Township, Lawrence County, will begin on July, 14, 2008. 

Both bridges will be closed to traffic around-the-clock while the work is performed beginning at 6 a.m. on Monday, July 14, through mid-September 2008. Crews will conduct substructure repairs, bridge deck resurfacing, and drainage improvements on both bridges. The following restrictions will occur:

Brent Road Overpass: Brent Road will be open to local traffic only from Jarvis Road to Plain Grove Road; thru-traffic will not be permitted.

• Posted detour route:

From West:

• Turn left onto Jarvis Road (1.5 miles) to Plain Grove-North Liberty Road
• Turn right onto Plain Grove (2.9 miles) follow to Brent Road
• End of Detour

From East:

• Traveling on Brent Road
• Turn right on Plain Grove Road (2.9 miles) follow to Plain Grove-North Liberty Road (2.1 miles)
• Bare left onto Jarvis Road  and follow to Brent Road
• End of Detour

 Pollock Store Road: Pollock Store Road will be open from Moores Corner to Plain Grove Road for local traffic only; thru-traffic will not be permitted.

• Posted detour route:

From West:

• Take Plain Grove Road northbound (0.8 miles)
• Turn right on Plain Grove-North Liberty Road (1.9 miles)
• Turn right on Moores Corner Road (1.2 miles)
• Return to Pollock Store Road
• End of Detour

From East:

• Take Moores Corner Road northbound (1.2 miles)
• Turn left on Plain Grove-North Liberty Road (1.9 miles)
• Turn left on Plain Grove Road (0.8 miles)
• Return to Pollock Store Road
• End of Detour

The bridge improvements are part of a $10.7 million project that includes concrete patching, bituminous superpave overlay, bridge repairs and resurfacing, shoulder, drainage and guide rail upgrades and other improvements on approximately 5.4 miles of I-79 through Lawrence County from the Mercer County line to the Butler County line.

 Single lane closures and other restrictions are occurring daily on I-79 in the work zone daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Some night and weekend work will also occur. The overall project will be completed in late fall 2008. The prime contractor is the I. A. Construction Company, Inc. of Zelienople, PA.  

Motorists are advised to use caution, be prepared for changing traffic patterns, and allow extra time when traveling through the area.

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is advising motorists that no mainline work or construction activities are currently scheduled on the Parkway East (I-376) in Allegheny County until next week.

All mainline work has been postponed this week through the upcoming July 4 holiday weekend.

Additional details will be released later for work that will occur next week. Mainline and ramp work is tentative scheduled to resume on Monday night, July 7.    

Parkway East Schedule

July 1-6:

·        No mainline work is scheduled.

·        Traffic on Route 130 (Beulah Road) under the Parkway East between Route 2110 (William Penn Highway) and Churchill Road (Route 2104) will be restricted to a single lane in each direction around-the-clock through July 2. Crews will be performing bridge repairs on the overhead structure.

·        Shoulder closures may occur in various locations on the Parkway East in both directions daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. through July 2 for drainage and paving preparation activities.  

·        The Chestnut Street Bridge over the Parkway East will remain fully closed around-the-clock through this week. Bridge deck replacement is occurring. Signs are posted to guide motorists. Traffic is be detoured using Elm Street to Pennwood Avenue to Edgewood Avenue to Oakview Street.

Similar to the work that has occurred on the Parkway East over the past two construction seasons, the 2.92 mile, $22.8 mile project for 2008 includes concrete pavement patching and bituminous overlay, milling and resurfacing of mainline and interchange ramps, drainage, guide rail and end treatment upgrades, shoulder improvements, bridge preservation work on 15 structures (including three structurally deficient (SD) bridges that will be removed from the SD list once the project is completed), acceleration and deceleration ramp lengthening, signing and pavement markings, and other miscellaneous construction on the Parkway East in the City of Pittsburgh and the Boroughs of Swissvale, Edgewood, Braddock Hills, Wilkinsburg, Forest Hills and Churchill. The project begins at the bridge over South Braddock Avenue at the Edgewood/Swissvale interchange and concludes at the bridge over Route 2048 (Business Route 22) in Churchill. The project will be completed in late 2008.  The prime contractors for the project are the Trumbull Corporation of West Mifflin in a joint venture with Lindy Paving Inc. of New Castle.

To help keep motorists informed of construction activities and traffic restrictions on the Parkway East, PennDOT has established a website specifically for the project. The website, www.penndot11.com, provides information on the project, details on current construction activities and traffic restrictions and other useful information. In addition, website visitors can register for email updates that will be sent weekly for upcoming work and restrictions.  PennDOT has also created a hotline number for road construction information. The number, 412-429-6035, provides current traffic restrictions and other useful information on the Parkway East project and other key improvements in the region.  

The project continues PennDOT District 11’s efforts to improve the entire length of the Parkway East from the Fort Pitt Bridge in the City of Pittsburgh to the Pennsylvania Turnpike in the Municipality of Monroeville. The past two construction seasons addressed the Parkway East from the Fort Pitt Bridge to the Bates Street Interchange (Exit 3) in 2006 and from Bates Street to just beyond the Edgewood Swissvale Interchange (Exit 7) in 2007. The remaining section of the Parkway East from Churchill to the Turnpike will be addressed in 2009-2010. District 11 is conducting these improvements to preserve, protect, improve and revitalize an essential Interstate corridor in Western Pennsylvania’s infrastructure.           

PennDOT District 11 is advising motorists the bridge that carries Montour Church Road over Route 22/30 at the Steubenville Pike (Tonidale) Interchange west of the Route 60 interchange in North Fayette Township, Allegheny County, is currently closed to traffic today, Tuesday, July 1, 2008. In addition, Route 22/30 is restricted to a single lane in the inbound (eastbound) direction.

PennDOT is closing the bridge as a precaution after inspection crews identified a crack in a bridge beam. The crack is believed to be caused by over-height vehicles hitting the bridge. Repair work is expected to begin this evening. The bridge will remain closed and eastbound traffic on Route 22/30 will be restricted around-the-clock until repairs are completed. Westbound (outbound) traffic on Route 22/30 will also be restricted to a single lane while the repair work is underway.    

The bridge is owned by PennDOT, but is located on a local road owned by North Fayette Township. About 7,600 vehicles use the bridge on an average day. PennDOT is currently designing a replacement structure for the Montour Church Road bridge over Route 22 with adequate under-clearance. The bridge replacement project should be under construction in 2010.