Early reopening of Commercial Street Bridge met with excitement, skepticism

PITTSBURGH — The Parkway East is back open after weeks of detours, with traffic flowing across the new Commercial Street Bridge a full week ahead of schedule.

Drivers began crossing the bridge around 7:30 p.m. Monday, about a half hour earlier than expected.

People gathered in Frick Park to watch the reopening, with many cheering as vehicles and trucks traveled across the new span for the first time.

“I think it’s wonderful,” Mitchell Hoffman said. “The traffic is going to be much better tomorrow.”

The early reopening was welcome news for commuters who said the closure added significant time to their daily drives.

“I definitely love it,” Charlie Werner said. “I don’t have to spend 20 minutes to go a place that should take five minutes.”

One of the first people to cross the bridge was Charlie Werner.

He even recorded video showing an unusually empty stretch of the Parkway East.

“I was coming here to Schenley Park and thought it was going to take about 20 minutes,” Werner said. “But then when I saw it was open, like wow, it’s only going to take about five minutes now and I was very excited.”

As traffic returned to normal, drivers celebrated by honking their horns while traveling across the interstate.

Neighbors who had been living with weeks of detours also welcomed the change.

“It’s been kind of tough, but luckily it was a short time,” Bill Collinge of Edgewood said.

Another commuter said the early reopening caught them by surprise.

“I was expecting it to happen next week, so the fact that it’s a week early- I live over there and commute to the Strip, so every time I leave my house, I have to deal with Rankin Bridge or going around the park through Squirrel Hill, so it’s been unpleasant, so I’m excited and elated”, said Rob Pell.

Others said living inside the detour zone made even short trips frustrating.

“I live inside the detours, so any time I want to go any place, I have to kind of merge in with or cross the traffic,” Bill Collinge said.

PennDOT says crews completed the massive project in just 17 days, demolishing the old bridge and sliding the new 22-million-pound structure into place.

Not everyone was ready to trust the early reopening.

Some people said they planned to wait before driving across the bridge, but others had no hesitation.

“No, I’m on my way. I’m not going to wait. I trust them. Anybody that can do this, I trust,” Mitchell Hoffman said.

While the Parkway East has reopened, Commercial Street and Forward Avenue will remain closed until early next month as crews finish cleanup work around the project area.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW