Driving To Kennywood Could Prove Problematic This Year

PITTSBURGH, PA - If you think the wait times are long to get on some of Kennywood’s more popular rides, wait until you see how much time you might have to spend in traffic this year just to get to the West Mifflin amusement park.

PennDOT has announced plans for a $7 million upgrade of Route 837 between the Rankin Bridge in Whitaker and North Second Avenue in the city of Duquesne. The portion of the highway that passes the amusement park and provides the only convenient access to it is Kennywood Boulevard.

Long-term single-lane restrictions restrictions will occur throughout the corridor as PennDOT performs concrete patching, resurfacing, bridge preservation work and signal improvements. The project is not expected to be completed until late in the year.

Unfortunately, that’s not the only potential highway hurdle Kennywood fans might have to overcome this year.

Many people access the Rankin Bridge and Route 837 via the Parkway East’s Edgewood/Swissvale exits. PennDOT also plans to perform $20 million worth of resurfacing and other upgrades to the parkway between the Fort Pitt Bridge and Edgewood/Swissvale. PennDOT hasn’t finalized when the work will begin or end, but the is on the list of 2018 projects.

That’s not only bad news for Kennywood lovers but also the park, which has invested $8.5 million in a new Thomas Town attraction featuring the children’s railroad character Thomas the Tank Engine. Thomas Town is expected to debut in June. ’

Officials at Kennywood, whose season opens the weekend of April 28-29 for season passholder and May 5 for the general public, acknowledge there could be difficulties traveling to and from the park this year.

“The (837) project, along with some others on the Parkway East, could cause some difficulties for guests planning to visit the park this summer,” Kennywood spokesman Nick Paradise said. “Our team keeps a regular line of communication open with West Mifflin Police and other appropriate agencies to ensure we’re aware and prepared for changes to typical traffic patterns, so we can assist our guests in their travels.”

Kennywood plans to add information on scheduled construction and alternate routes to its web site and make sure its phone operators are ready to share information with people who need it.

While PennDOT does plan to do as much of the work as possible around Kennywood at night, “This year, it may be wise for guests who typically take the Rankin Bridge and/or Route 837 to visit Kennywood to plan for a little extra travel time,” Paradise said.

There was additional bad news Tuesday from another amusement park popular among Pittsburghers: Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio is raising ticket costs by $5 and a daily adult ticket now will cost $72.

Photo via Shutterstock.