Beginning Friday night, a key section of the Parkway East between the eastern end of the Squirrel Hill Tunnel and the Edgewood/Swissvale exit will close until Aug. 5.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
The closure is necessary because of the $95 million Commercial Street bridge replacement project. The old bridge will be demolished and its replacement - which was built in Frick Park adjacent to the existing span-will laterally slide onto the existing parkway alignment.
The Commercial Street Bridge project is one of the largest lateral slide projects ever performed in Pennsylvania.
PennDOTi is warning that heavy delays will occur on detour routes and advises people to work from home or use alternate routes as able.
The agency also is advising people to carpool with a friend or connect with PRT bus or Westmoreland Transit Service to reduce closure traffic. To find a location, click "Resources"at this link.
For real-time traffic updates, people can call 511, download the 501 mobile app or visit 511PA.com.
DETOURS
From Westbound I-376:
Take the Edgewood/Swissvale (Exit 77) exit
At the end of the ramp, turn left onto South Braddock Avenue
Continue onto the Rankin Bridge
Turn right onto Route 837 (River Road)
Continue onto Route 837 (8th Avenue)
Turn right onto the Homestead Grays Bridge
Continue onto Browns Hill Road
Continue straight onto Beechwood Boulevard
Follow signs for westbound I-376 toward Pittsburgh
Take the ramp to westbound I-376 toward Pittsburgh
End detour
From Eastbound I-376
Take the Squirrel Hill/Homestead (Exit 74) exit, continuing straight onto Beechwood Boulevard toward Homestead
Continue straight onto Browns Hill Road
Continue onto the Homestead Grays Bridge
Turn left onto Route 837 (8th Avenue)
Continue straight on Route 837 (River Road)
Turn left onto the Rankin Bridge
Continue onto South Braddock Avenue
Bear right to merge onto eastbound I-376 toward Monroeville
End detour
Interstate Detour
From Westbound I-376
Take the Wilkinsburg (Exit 78B) exit toward Route 8 North
Merge onto Route 8 (Ardmore Boulevard)
Continue straight onto Route 8 (Penn Avenue)
Turn left onto Fifth Avenue
After going through Oakland, take the ramp to the left for westbound I-376. Use caution for opposing traffic.
Merge onto the Boulevard of the Allies and stay in the right lane to merge onto westbound I-376 toward Downtown/Fort Pitt Bridge
Continue straight to merge onto westbound I-376
End detour
From Eastbound I-376
Take the Forbes Avenue/Oakland (Exit 72A) exit
Merge onto Forbes Avenue
Turn left onto South Bellefield Avenue
Turn right onto Fifth Avenue
Turn right onto Route 8 (Penn Avenue)
Bear right to continue on Route 8 (Ardmore Boulevard)
Take the ramp to 376/22/30 toward Pittsburgh/Monroeville
At the split, bear left to eastbound 376/22 toward Monroeville
Merge onto eastbound I-376
End detour
Police will assist drivers at major intersections along the detour routes.
To avoid extensive delays on the posted detours, the department suggests the following alternate routes for travelers’ consideration, which can also be found on the Commercial Street Bridge webpage:
Alternate Route1: I-76 and I-79
Alternate Route 2: I-76 and Route 28
Alternate Route 3: Route 48 and Route 148
In conjunction with the bridge closure, starting at 9:00 p.m. Friday, July 10, the following ramps will be closed and detoured through 5:a.m. on Aug. 3 to increase the flow of traffic:
Churchill on-ramp to westbound I-376
Forest Hills on-ramp to westbound I-376
Swissvale on-ramp to westbound I-376
Edgewood on-ramp to westbound I-376
Boulevard of the Allies on-ramp to eastbound I-376
Oakland/Bates Street on-ramp to eastbound I-376
Squirrel Hill/Beechwood Boulevard on-ramp to eastbound I-376
Edgewood on-ramp to eastbound I-376
Posted Detours
Churchill on-ramp to westbound I-376
Continue on William Penn Avenue
Continue straight onto Route 8 (Penn Avenue)
Turn left onto Fifth Avenue
After going through Oakland, take the ramp to the left for westbound I-376. Use caution for opposing traffic
Merge onto the Boulevard of the Allies and stay in the right lane to merge onto westbound I-376 toward Downtown/Fort Pitt Bridge
Continue straight to merge onto westbound I-376
End detour
Forest Hills on-ramp to westbound I-376
Continue onto Route 8 (Ardmore Boulevard)
Bear left to continue on Route 8 (Penn Avenue)
Turn left onto Fifth Avenue
Bear left onto the ramp toward westbound I-376 to the Boulevard of the Allies
After going through Oakland, take the ramp to the left for westbound I-376. Use caution for opposing traffic
Merge onto the Boulevard of the Allies and stay in the right lane to merge onto westbound I-376 toward Downtown/Fort Pitt Bridge
Continue straight to merge onto westbound I-376
End detour
Edgewood on-ramp to westbound I-376
Continue on South Braddock Avenue to the Rankin Bridge
Turn right onto Route 837 (River Road)
Continue onto Route 837 (8th Avenue)
Turn right onto the Homestead Grays Bridge
Continue onto Browns Hill Road
Continue straight onto Beechwood Boulevard
Follow signs for westbound I-376 toward Pittsburgh
Take the ramp to westbound I-376 toward Pittsburgh
End detour
Swissvale on-ramp to westbound I-376
Continue on South Braddock Avenue
·Turn left onto Route 8 (Penn Avenue)
Turn left onto Fifth Avenue
After going through Oakland, take the ramp to the left for westbound I-376. Use caution for opposing traffic
Merge onto the Boulevard of the Allies and stay in the right lane to merge onto westbound I-376 toward Downtown/Fort Pitt Bridge
Continue straight to merge onto westbound I-376
End detour
Boulevard of the Allies on-ramp to eastbound I-376
Continue straight on Route 885 (Boulevard of the Allies)
Take the ramp on the right toward Forbes Avenue
Merge onto Forbes Avenue
Turn left onto South Bellefield Avenue
Turn right onto Fifth Avenue
Turn right onto Route 8 (Penn Avenue)
Bear right to continue on Route 8 (Ardmore Boulevard)
Take the ramp to 376/22/30 toward Pittsburgh/Monroeville
At the split, bear left to eastbound 376/22 toward Monroeville
Merge onto eastbound I-376
End detour
Oakland/Bates Street on-ramp to eastbound I-376
From Bates Street, turn onto Second Avenue
Continue on Second Avenue, which turns into Route 885 (Irvine Street)
Cross the Glenwood Bridge
Exit right toward Route 837/Glass Run Road/Carson Street/Homestead
Turn left onto Glass Run Road
Turn left onto the ramp toward Carson Street/Homestead/Glenwood Bridge
Stay in the center lane to bear left toward Route 837/Homestead
Bear right to stay on Route 837 toward Homestead
Continue straight on Route 837 (8th Avenue)
Continue straight on Route 837 (River Road)
Turn left onto the Rankin Bridge
Continue onto South Braddock Avenue
Bear right to merge onto eastbound I-376 toward Monroeville
End detour
Squirrel Hill/Beechwood Boulevard on-ramp to eastbound I-376
From Beechwood Boulevard, take Murray Avenue
Turn right onto Wilkins Avenue
Turn left onto Dallas Avenue
Turn right onto Route 8 (Penn Avenue)
Bear right to continue on Route 8 (Ardmore Boulevard)
Take the ramp to 376/22/30 toward Pittsburgh/Monroeville
At the split, bear left to eastbound 376/22 toward Monroeville
Merge onto eastbound I-376
End detour
Edgewood on-ramp to eastbound I-376
Continue on Monogahela Avenue
Make a quick right onto Schoyer Avenue
Make a quick left back onto Monogahela Avenue
Turn left onto Church Street
Turn left onto South Braddock Avenue
Take the on-ramp to eastbound I-376
End detour
Additionally, starting Friday at 9 p.m. Traffic will be reduced to a single lane in each direction between the Edgewood/Swissvale (Exit 77) and Wilkinsburg (Exit 78B) interchanges around-the-clock until the Commercial Street Bridge reopens to traffic in early August.
WHAT'S OPEN
Travelers headed westbound I-376 will be able to access the Edgewood/Swissvale (Exit 77) interchange.
The Squirrel Hill/Homestead (Exit 74) interchange will remain open in each direction.
The ramp from the Boulevard of the Allies to westbound I-376 will remain open.
The ramp from Swissvale to eastbound I-376 will remain open.
The Forest Hills on-ramp to eastbound I-376 will remain open.
During the bridge closure, Route 885 (Boulevard of the Allies) will be reduced to a single lane of traffic in the southbound (inbound) direction to assist with the flow of traffic.
PennDOT is reminding motorists to be patient, use caution and avoid distractions on the road. As some of the detours take traffic through the city and residential neighborhoods, be aware of pedestrians and bicyclists.
Pedestrians and cyclists are also reminded of the increased traffic along and near the detour routes and are encouraged to remain alert, increase their visibility, and abide by the rules of the road.