McKees Rocks Bridge construction causing major backups

PITTSBURGH — Rush hour traffic stretched the length of the McKees Rocks Bridge Thursday morning.

“It’s just a big mess,” said Mark Anthony, who was among the drivers caught in the mess.

“It took me 25 minutes just to get across,” he said.

The backups are being caused by construction on the bridge, which is limiting traffic to just one lane each direction between Brighton Heights and McKees Rocks.

Drivers say there’s no good way to avoid it.

“If you go around the other way from McKees Rocks, you’re going to run into West Carson Street and that’s like miles long, everybody’s backed up,” said Anthony.

The $22.4 million bridge improvement project was originally scheduled to begin last week but did not officially get underway until Wednesday this week.

“It’s extremely frustrating,” said Candice Redshaw.  Her typical eight-minute commute took her an hour Wednesday.

She partially blames the timing of the traffic light on Route 65.

“When I was going across at 6:15 [Thursday] morning, that light was only green to allow traffic to go to the left or straight into Brighton Heights for three seconds.”

PennDOT District 11 spokesperson Steve Cowan said adjustments are typically needed at the start of projects.

“The Department is aware of the delays,” he wrote.  “We have personnel from our signal and work zone divisions reviewing the signal operations and the maintenance and protection of traffic plan.”

Drivers, like Redshaw, hope any adjustments made make a noticeable difference.

“Let’s change that light sensor to allow more traffic to flow and see how that impacts that area,” said Redshaw.

Construction on the bridge is not scheduled for completion until July 2023.

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