PennDOT District 11 has announced an a multitude of road closures or lane restrictions around Allegheny county.
Fort Pitt Tunnel
Tonight, on Friday, September 22, there will be a lane restriction in the outbound (westbound) direction of the Fort Pitt Tunnel (I-376). A single lane will be restricted from 10 p.m. on Friday night until 5 a.m. on Saturday morning to facilitate repairs to the standpipe system.
I-79
Also, paving operations are slated for the northbound lanes of Interstate 79, spanning across Franklin Park, Sewickley Hills, Glenfield boroughs, Aleppo, and Ohio townships in Allegheny County. These operations are scheduled to occur from Friday night, September 22, through Monday morning, September 25, contingent upon favorable weather conditions. The milling and paving work will unfold along the northbound section of I-79, stretching from the Neville Island Bridge to I-279 (Parkway North). This continuous operation will run from 7 p.m. on Friday night until 6 a.m. on Monday morning, necessitating single-lane and shoulder restrictions along the primary I-79 route. This endeavor is a vital part of the $26.49 million I-79 improvement project, encompassing several critical components. These include the replacement of four bridge decks, preservation efforts for one bridge, milling and resurfacing work, maintenance of seven sign structures, installation of five new ITS signs, improvements to guide rails, updates to signage, and the implementation of pavement markings.
Furthermore, plans are in place for the creation of crossovers on southbound I-79 in 2023, as part of bridge deck replacement work, with the project's primary phase aiming for completion in early 2024.To ensure that motorists stay well-informed regarding the project's ongoing developments, PennDOT has established an email distribution list dedicated to updates pertaining to the I-79 Neville Island Bridge rehabilitation. These updates will include traffic advisories and construction-related news. To subscribe to this list, simply send your email address to stcowan@pa.gov and include "Subscribe – I-79" in the subject line.
PennDOT also has issued an announcement regarding the closure of the left-hand express lane on southbound Interstate 79, spanning through Kennedy, Robinson, and Neville townships, as well as Glenfield Borough in Allegheny County. This closure is scheduled for Saturday, September 23, contingent upon favorable weather conditions. The left-hand express lane on the southbound side of I-79 will be temporarily shut down to traffic from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. This closure is necessary to facilitate drilling operations. During this period, all southbound I-79 traffic will be directed to use the right-hand local lane. This endeavor is part of the comprehensive $43.9 million I-79 "S-Bend" Project. This project encompasses various critical elements, including full-depth pavement reconstruction, preservation efforts on five mainline structures (I-79 northbound and southbound over Clever Road, I-79 northbound and southbound over Route 51, and the Neville Island Bridge). Additionally, it involves milling and paving work on three ramps at the Route 51 interchange, guiderail replacement, upgrades to highway lighting and signage, installation of new pavement markings and delineation, as well as other miscellaneous construction tasks.
Parkway East
Another announcement by PennDOT stated that upcoming bridge inspection operations are set to take place on eastbound I-376 (Parkway East) within the City of Pittsburgh. These activities are scheduled for Saturday morning, September 23, subject to weather conditions. During the hours of 6 a.m. to noon on Saturday, single-lane restrictions will be implemented on eastbound I-376 in the vicinity of the Forbes Avenue/Oakland exit 72A. These restrictions are necessary to facilitate bridge inspection work conducted by PennDOT crews.
Route 8
PennDOT District 11 is notifying the public about forthcoming overhead sign inspection operations along southbound Route 8 in Etna Borough, Allegheny County. These inspections are scheduled for Saturday, September 23, subject to favorable weather conditions. Lane restrictions are anticipated on southbound Route 8, spanning between Kittanning Street and Route 28, during the hours of 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. The inspections will be conducted by crews from SAI Consulting Engineers, Inc.
Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA is a complimentary service accessible around the clock, offering alerts about traffic delays, weather predictions, real-time traffic speeds, and access to over 1,000 traffic cameras.
511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.
