PITTSBURGH — The Parkway East will close for nearly a month starting Friday.
The detour reroutes hundreds of thousands of drivers through some of our region’s busiest neighborhoods.
The road is expected to be closed until Aug. 3.
Related coverage: Pennsylvania launches specialized website to help drivers navigate Parkway East closure
As the 25-day closure approaches, Channel 11 asked PennDOT District 11 executive Jason Zang if there are any last-minute changes or unforeseen challenges for the project.
“We’re ready to go. We’ve been planning this for a long time. We did the test run. We couldn’t be more ready. The only thing that could cause us to have to make some adjustments is the weather,” Zang said.
The main detour for highway traffic will be between the Wilkinsburg and Oakland exits using Ardmore Boulevard, Penn Avenue, Fifth Avenue and the Boulevard of the Allies for inbound drivers, and Forbes Avenue and Bellefield for outbound drivers.
Several additional detours for local traffic and drivers coming from outlying areas will be marked. The local detour will push additional traffic onto the Rankin Bridge and Homestead Grays Bridge.
Keep in mind, it typically takes drivers two to three days to figure out which alternate route works best for them.
If you are taking the main detour, which takes you through Oakland, be aware that UPMC Presbyterian expansion work and the PRT University Line project will create additional lane restrictions. This could cause lengthy delays on Fifth Avenue and the Blvd of the Allies.
Those headed to Picklesburgh, Pirates games and concerts will have to plan ahead. Deliveries and public transit could be impacted as well.
To help keep everything on schedule, demolition of the current Commercial Street Bridge will happen soon after the closure, and incentives are in place for the contractor to get it done on time or early.
“The contractors always want to get done as quickly as they can. Time is money for them; their crew out there taking longer just costs them more money. It will cut into their bottom line. In this particular case, we’re using an inside, and it’s the same as the center; it’s the same dollar value. It depends on when they get the road open, so if it’s the middle of the night, it’s not as much money, but if it’s in the middle of rush hour, then it’s worth more.”
Around 100,000 vehicles use the soon-to-be-closed stretch of the Parkway East on a daily basis. That means a change in habit for some drivers and a change in patience for all drivers.
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