Major Road Closures, Changes Set For This Weekend
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) --- It's the time of year when road work seems to be everywhere you turn. This weekend, drivers will contend with new closures and changes.
The next phase of the Parkway North road project begins Friday night. Crews will be preparing for a new traffic configuration south of the McKnight Road interchange.
KDKA's John Shumway Reports --
Southbound lanes will continue to shift from the HOV lanes back onto the mainline Parkway North near the Venture Street interchange. However, a single lane of the closed portion of the HOV lanes will reopen to traffic.
PennDOT says the new configuration could be implemented as early as Saturday. It will be in place by 6 a.m. Monday morning at the latest. The work zone from Camp Horne Road to the McKnight Road interchange will remain unchanged.
On the Parkway West, PennDOT says a long-term lane shift for eastbound traffic in Findlay and Moon townships will is also scheduled to begin this weekend.
The left-hand lane will be crossed over into the westbound lanes. This will be an "express lane", with no access to any exits in the work zone between the Beaver County line and the McLaren Road interchange. The right-hand lane will shift to the far right shoulder. It will have access to all exits.
There will be single-lane traffic on the westbound Parkway West starting Friday at 8 p.m. to prepare for the crossover. The new configuration is expected to be in place by 8 p.m Saturday night.
The Liberty Bridge will be closed in both directions starting at 8 p.m. Friday night. Also, there will be lane restrictions on Route 19 and Route 51 near the south portal of the Liberty Tunnel on Saturday between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m for resurfacing work.
There's another a twist to this weekend's work, and it could put a quick halt to your drive on the Parkway East under the bridge.
"There will be short stoppages on the Parkway East for approximately 10 minutes at times they do certain work," said PennDOT's Dan Cessna.
Even with just 10 minute closures, Cessna says they are certain there will be backups.
"We'll monitor traffic to make good decisions on when we do that work," he said.
Finally, the East Ohio Street ramp to northbound Route 28 will be closed Friday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.; and again on Saturday from 5 a.m. until 5 a.m. Monday morning.
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