Drivers Detoured By Tunnel Closure Warned To Watch For Trick-Or-Treaters
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- If your weekend plans include a trip on the Parkway East, you may want to reconsider or at least allow for lots of extra time.
PennDOT is once again closing the inbound side of the Squirrel Hill Tunnel from 9 p.m. Friday through early Monday morning.
The detour route is often congested, even without the extra traffic from the Parkway. And this weekend, drivers will also have to beware of trick-or-treaters.
Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. is trick-or-treating time in the city, but some East End neighborhoods could be trickier than other.
"Drivers, make sure they look, so if someone is crossing the street, they want to stop so no one gets hurt," says Ella Sheaffer, a little trick-or-treater.
With the closing of the Squirrel Hill Tunnel inbound this weekend; motorists may take to side streets to avoid backups.
"You know with the extra traffic, the people who aren't typically going those routes - it's dark, there are a lot of kids out," said Lynn Tomasits, of Regent Square.
The main detour runs through Regent Square along South Braddock Avenue; and then, hangs a left on Forbes to Beechwood Boulevard.
That winding section of Beechwood is nearly all residential. The detour continues to Forward Avenue and back to the Parkway on the other side of the tunnel.
"We have detail officers on many of the intersections, controlling the lights and the stop signs and they've been getting the traffic flowing," said Lt. Craig Campbell, of Pittsburgh Police.
And officers are aware they have special duty that night.
"In addition to keeping track of keeping the traffic moving, they're going to be keeping an eye on the Halloweeners on the corners, making sure everybody is safe," Lt. Campbell added.
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