Next phase of McKees Rocks Bridge Preservation project to begin

PennDOT is marking the halfway point in the McKees Rocks Bridge restoration project which began in September of 2022.

Monday night, crews began shifting the traffic flow from one side of the bridge to the other in order to kick off the second half of construction.

“We’ll just have a mirror image of what we had last year, just the two lanes will be shifted on the other side of the bridge, which will free up that upstream side to work on the upstream barrier and sidewalk,” said PennDOT Asst. District Executive for Construction, Doug Thompson.

According to Thompson, crews are shifting the lanes overnight in phases between 8:00 pm and 5:00 am each night this week.

Going from Brighton Heights to McKees Rocks, drivers will now be using the far-right lane of the bridge, which was previously under construction.

Drivers heading the other direction will use the middle lane.

The far-left lane will become the new work zone for decking and sidewalk work.

“The rest of the week they’ll just be shifting the temporary barrier that’s out there throughout these evenings and overnight periods,” said Thompson.

While that shift happens, Thompson urges drivers to be cautious.

“Our crews will be working in the center of the bridge, starting to shift that barrier, so just exercise caution as you’re traveling through the work zone to make it safe for both the motoring public and the crews out there working,” Thompson said.

The entire preservation project carries a $38.6 million price tag and is not set for completion until 2025.

But Thompson says the work being done is essential to the future of the McKees Rocks Bridge.

“It’s a tremendous asset that we have and you have to keep up with your maintenance on the bridge to protect and preserve that so that it’s in service for years to come,” Thompson said.

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