Parkway East Closure: What You Need To Know

PITTSBURGH, PA - It won't be fun attempting to get around town this weekend during the final days of the Three Rivers Arts Festival. PennDOT is closing the inbound Parkway East between the Edgewood-Swissvale off-ramp and the Boulevard of the Allies on-ramp from 9 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Monday.

Here's what you need to know about the closure:

All trucks will be detoured at the Wilkinsburg interchange. All other motorists can get off at the Wilkinsburg or Edgewood Swissvale exit.

Detours are as follows:

Cars and all trucks.

• From westbound (inbound) I-376, take the Wilkinsburg (Exit 78B) off-ramp
• Follow Route 8 (Ardmore Boulevard) northbound
• Ardmore Boulevard becomes Penn Avenue
• Follow Penn Avenue to Fifth Avenue
• Turn left onto Fifth Avenue
• Take the ramp to the Boulevard of the Allies (Route 885) toward 376 West
• From the Boulevard of the Allies, take the ramp to 376 West toward Downtown
• Merge onto westbound I-376
• End detour

Cars only at Edgewood-Swissvale exit.

• From westbound (inbound) I-376, take the Edgewood/Swissvale (Exit 77) off-ramp
• Turn right onto South Braddock Avenue
• Turn left onto Penn Avenue (Route 8)
• Turn left onto Fifth Avenue
• Take the ramp to the Boulevard of the Allies (Route 885) toward 376 West
• From the Boulevard of the Allies, take the ramp to 376 West toward Downtown
• Merge onto westbound I-376
• End detour

Additional weekend restrictions include:

• A single-lane restriction on the parkway's westbound lanes between the Squirrel Hill Tunnel and the Oakland (Exit 73B) off-ramp will occur from 7 p.m. 9 p.m. on Friday.
• The on-ramps from Forward Avenue and Beechwood Boulevard to the parkway's westbound lanes at the Squirrel Hill/Homestead (Exit 74) interchange will be brought to a stop condition at 7 p.m. Friday so crews can implement the detour route. The ramps will close to traffic once the detour signs are in place until 5 a.m. Monday.
• The on-ramps from Ardmore Boulevard to the parkway's westbound lanes at the Wilkinsburg (Exit 78B) interchange will be closed from 9 p.m. Friday through 5 a.m. Monday. .
• The on-ramps from South Braddock Avenue and West Swissvale Avenue to the parkway's westbound lane at the Edgewood/Swissvale (Exit 77) interchange will be closed from 9 p.m. Friday through 5 a.m. Monday.
• Eastbound New Street at the Edgewood/Swissvale (Exit 77) interchange will close to traffic at Garland Street.

Posted Detours for the additional restrictions:

Forward Avenue and Beechwood Boulevard ramps to the westbound parkway lanes.

• From Beechwood Boulevard, take the ramp to 376 East
• From eastbound I-376, take the Edgewood/Swissvale (Exit 77) off-ramp
• Bear left toward Edgewood
• Bear left toward Braddock Avenue
• From South Braddock Avenue, turn left onto Penn Avenue (Route 8)
• Turn left onto Fifth Avenue
• Take the ramp to the Boulevard of the Allies (Route 885) toward 376 West
• From the Boulevard of the Allies, take the ramp to 376 West toward Downtown
• Merge onto westbound I-376
• End detour

(Truck traffic will need to continue eastbound on the parkway to the Wilkinsburg (Exit 78B) interchange

Westbound Route 30/8 (Lincoln Highway/Ardmore Boulevard) Ramps to the westbound parkway lanes.

• Continue northbound on Route 8 (Ardmore Boulevard) past the closed ramps

• Ardmore Boulevard becomes Penn Avenue
• Follow Penn Avenue to Fifth Avenue
• Turn left onto Fifth Avenue
• Take the ramp to the Boulevard of the Allies (Route 885) toward 376 West
• From the Boulevard of the Allies, take the ramp to 376 West toward Downtown
• Merge onto westbound I-376
• End detour

(Motorists on southbound Ardmore Boulevard can take the ramp to eastbound I-376, to Greensburg Pike (Exit 79A) to Penn Avenue)

West Swissvale Avenue to the parkway's westbound lanes.

• From West Swissvale Avenue, bear left on the ramp toward Monroeville/Swissvale
• Turn right onto South Braddock Avenue
• Turn left onto Penn Avenue (Route 8)
• Turn left onto Fifth Avenue
• Take the ramp to the Boulevard of the Allies (Route 885) toward 376 West
• From the Boulevard of the Allies, take the ramp to 376 West toward Downtown
• Merge onto westbound I-376
• End detour

Police will assist motorists at key intersections on the detour routes, but motorists should consider alternate routes and allow extra travel time during this closure.

To avoid potential lengthy delays on the posted detour routes, PennDOT also suggests taking the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Monroeville to the Allegheny Valley (Exit 48 – New Kensington/Pittsburgh) interchange and following southbound Route 28 to Downtown.

Travelers also can take the turnpike in Monroeville to the Cranberry (Exit 28 – Pittsburgh/Erie) interchange. Motorists heading into Pittsburgh can follow southbound I-79 to southbound I-279 (Parkway North). Motorists heading to the Pittsburgh International Airport or points west of Pittsburgh can follow southbound I-79 to the Parkway West.

Motorists south of the Parkway East are encouraged to use alternate routes such as Second Avenue or Route 837 into the City of Pittsburgh.

No work will occur in the parkway's outbound lanes this weekend. A full closure of outbound (eastbound) lanes is tentatively scheduled for the weekend of June 28-July 1. Additional details will be provided prior to the closure occurring.