Route 28 ramp to Highland Park Bridge closed for next three months

PITTSBURGH — For the next 83 days, the ramp from Route 28 north to the Highland Park Bridge in Sharpsburg will be closed.

The closure started Monday morning, forcing drivers to find alternate routes. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation suggests the following detours:

Posted Detour

• From northbound Route 28, take the RD Fleming Bridge/Sharpsburg (Exit 5A) off-ramp
• Continue straight at the stop sign
• Bear right onto North Main Street (Route 1001)
• North Main Street becomes Main Street
• Main Street becomes Freeport Road
• Take the ramp to the Highland Park Bridge
• End detour

Alternate Detour

• From northbound Route 28, continue past the closed ramp
• Take the Fox Chapel Road/Waterworks Drive/Freeport Road (Exit 8) off-ramp
• Bear left toward Fox Chapel Road
• At the stop sign, turn left onto Fox Chapel Road
• Turn left onto the ramp to southbound Route 28
• From southbound Route 28 take the left-hand off-ramp to South 8/Highland Park Bridge/Aspinwall (Exit 6)
• End detour

Sterling Jones, who works in Sharpsburg, can’t imagine Main Street being one of the detours.

“That is going to be insane,” Jones said. “It’s already hard to get out here. So, we are only able to get out of this little parking lot if people are nice about it and let you through. If this thing is packed 24/7, it’s not gonna be pretty.”

Christine Carricato, who lives in Sharpsburg, has concerns, too.

“It’s a small town and there’s a lot of traffic as it is. With that ramp closed down, it’s going to be a mess,” Carricato said.

During the ramp closure, crews will conduct expansion dam and bearing replacement, concrete repairs, blasting and painting operations, drainage improvements, steel repairs and an epoxy overlay on the deck.

TRAFFIC: Route 28 northbound off-ramp long-term closure (6/21/21)

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