PennDOT hosts public meeting on proposed changes to Parkway East interchange in Squirrel Hill
PennDOT hosted a public meeting on Thursday night to discuss proposed plans for a major makeover to the Squirrel Hill interchange of the Parkway East.
PennDOT presented several options to a packed community meeting in Greenfield about how to fix the interchange of the highway on the city side of the Squirrel Hill tunnel.
There are four different plans on the table, all with the primary goal to fix the dangerous on-ramps and off-ramps.
The on-ramp actually dumps drivers onto the highway before the off-ramp does, putting drivers in each others' way.
PennDOT wants to also make sure the project includes improvements to Beechwood Boulevard, but this could come at a cost to some homes.
"We obviously don't want to move or relocate people," said Jason Zang, PennDOT District 11 Executive. "That's the last thing we want to do. We are very empathetic to people's livelihoods and their lives and where they live. We're trying to minimize it as much as we possibly can, so that's our goal."
PennDOT didn't share how many homes may be affected, other than saying it will likely be "a few" and said they'll work with those homeowners to make sure they're fairly compensated.
While the shovels aren't slated to hit the dirt for four years, the work is underway behind the scenes and the project is definitely happening and moving forward.
More information about the project is available online, including an option for where you can submit comment.
