Spectacular Route 30 Collapse Repaired, Highway Reopens

PITTSBURGH, PA - When a portion of Route 30 in East Pittsburgh spectacularly collapsed April 7, few anticipated that motorists would be traveling the highway again less than three months later. But that’s what happened Wednesday when PennDOT reopened the road between Electric Avenue and the Westinghouse Bridge.

The $6.5 million construction project began on April 27 and the roadway reopened in just over 60 days. Contractors first rebuilt the collapsed hillside to provide a stable base to reconstruct the roadway, erecting a 400-foot wall and using 39,000 cubic yards of recycled broken concrete roadway and foreign barrow material.

When that major effort was completed, workers finished the project by performing asphalt paving, guiderail and drainage installation, curbing, line painting, and other construction.

“The intense dedication shown by everyone assisting those impacted by this slide and reopening this roadway has been astounding,” PennDOT Secretary Leslie Richards said in a statement.. “I am proud of and thankful for their commitment to completing this mission.”

Construction work will continue on the site below Route 30, including concrete lagging installation, reestablishing gas and water lines, anti-graffiti application to the wall and final grading. Minor construction activities requiring short-term lane restrictions may occur on Route 30, PennDOT officials said.

Screen capture via YouTube.

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