Parkway West To Get Major Facelift, Some Closures Planned
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – As you exit the Fort Pitt Tunnel, you are entering one of the biggest construction zones of 2014, as PennDOT plans many changes.
"A complete restoration of the Parkway West from the I-79 interchange, to the Fort Pitt Tunnel," said Dan Cessna with PennDOT.
But many might ask: didn't they just do that?
"The Parkway West was last resurfaced in 2004," Cessna said. "That's 10 years and 10 years is the average life on a normal interstate."
The center Jersey Barrier is crumbling, the bridges and decks and shoulders need help and the whole thing resurfaced, which will all be done some restrictions.
"Maintaining two lanes in each direction all during peak driving periods," Cessna said. "There will be some night restrictions."
It will also be closed some weekends.
"We will have some weekend closures to accommodate some of the larger work," he said. "It could be interchange to interchange. Those details are to be worked out."
That work will get rolling in mid-summer.
Just a bit further west, the heavily traveled section of the Steubenville Pike from I-79 to the Parkway West is getting a facelift thanks to those new transportation dollars.
"Just basically mill and resurface major restoration of that corridor," Cessna said. "It's very old and in need of restoration."
Now if you drive that route, you know that work can't be done without closing lanes.
"There will be lane restrictions," Cessna said. "Most of that will be coordinated because travel is so tight, most of that will be coordinated nights, so we're not inconveniencing daytime travel."
Look for the orange to bloom there with the spring thaw.
And then there's West Carson Street – the work there started this year and closed off traffic outbound from the city. That will not change in 2014. Traffic will still be restricted to a single lane towards the city. That work will finally wrap up in 2015.
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