PITTSBURGH — After more than two weeks of detours and traffic headaches, drivers are expected to get relief Monday evening.
PennDOT confirmed to Channel 11 that the Parkway East (Interstate 376) will reopen a week ahead of schedule following the replacement of the Commercial Street Bridge in Pittsburgh.
The closure forced thousands of drivers to find alternate routes, adding significant time to many daily commutes.
“It’s been a pain with the Squirrel Hill Tunnel being closed. You have to go through Squirrel Hill,” Adam Andrae said.
Andrae said his drive to work nearly doubled during the closure.
“It’s probably 35 to 36 minutes as opposed to 15, 18 minutes,” he said.
The early reopening comes after crews spent more than two weeks demolishing the old bridge, sliding a new 22-million-pound structure into place and working around the clock to complete roadway improvements.
Contractors also had a financial incentive to finish ahead of schedule.
If the project was completed before July 28, they were eligible for a $2 million bonus.
While many drivers welcomed the news, not everyone is ready to drive across the new bridge immediately.
“I’m scared. I feel like it got done too quick, too fast,” Shilynn Pillar said.
She plans to wait before using the roadway herself.
“I won’t get on it for a month. I’ll let other people test it out. We’ll see how it goes,” Pillar said.
Others said they’re simply looking forward to getting time back in their day.
“And the commute to get my son, it saves me time. I have more time to do things. I don’t want to be wasting time right now,” Brian Harris said.
Although the Parkway East is expected to reopen Monday evening, PennDOT has not announced an exact reopening time.
Drivers should also note that the Commercial Street/Forward Avenue closure will remain in place until early next month while crews continue cleanup work.
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