Local

Squirrel Hill Tunnel to close again this weekend for ongoing work

PITTSBURGH — [if gte mso 9]>

PennDOT said the tunnel will close at 10 p.m. Friday night and reopen at 6 a.m. on Monday.

Channel 11’s Trisha Pittman said drivers should expect even bigger delays this weekend due to the closure and a different detour.

PennDOT said that the posted detour will require eastbound traffic to form a single lane exiting at the Squirrel Hill/Homestead interchange, exit 74. In order to minimize the effect on businesses in Squirrel Hill, PennDOT said different detours will be used during day and night hours.

The inbound lane will remain open while the outbound lanes are closed, but PennDOT said short-term traffic stoppages may occur in the inbound lanes as well.

According to PennDOT, the closures are a continuation of several weeks of work in removing the outbound tunnel ceiling and rehabilitation and preservation work on the outbound bridge over Commercial Street. When overall work is completed, PennDOT said the vertical clearance in the eastbound tunnel will increase from 13 feet, 6 inches to 14 feet, 9 inches.