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Heavy Construction Starts Tuesday On Rt. 65

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- On route 65 in Emsworth, a stone's throw from Camp Horne Road, Jerry Santucci has struggled to keep cafe note open against constant construction over the last four years right outside his door and now more work starts Monday night.

"It's going to hurt me," he said. "We did used to have breakfast we were serving coffee lunches were here we had to remove lunches because we couldn't survive because of traffic."

And this work could be the most disruptive of all.

Starting Monday night, the four lanes of 65 will be reduced to two -- one lane in each direction -- with all traffic initially using the lanes that normally carry traffic out of town.

PennDOT is warning drivers the two lanes won't be normal width, they will be narrow 10 foot wide lanes -- the kind of lanes that make drivers nervous.

When this work starts on Route 65, a lot of trucks like that one are going to end up not coming this direction and that means a lot more traffic on the Parkway West and the Parkway North.

There is no way to know how big of a hit either of the parkways will take, but with substantial delays expected on 65, the Route 65 refugees from the north will seek a better commute on Interstate 279 and down to the city thorough the East Street Valley.

And those from the west and up the Ohio Valley may head to the Parkway West adding to already crowded drive in from Rosyln Farms to Green Tree and on to the Fort Pitt Tunnel.

The lane restrictions begin at 8 p.m. Monday night and should impact rush hour beginning traffic Tuesday morning wrapping up sometime around Thanksgiving on Route 65.

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