PennDOT announces construction projects for 2015
Drivers traveling through Allegheny County on state highways will likely encounter orange barrels, lane restrictions and closed roads this construction season.
Officials with the state Department of Transportation announced that an estimated $214 million with be spent on improving, preserving or rehabilitating 72 bridges, including 43 deemed structurally deficient. Another $16.1 million will be spent to pave or resurface 133 miles of road
Some projects are continuing from 2014. Most drivers heading to Pittsburgh from Washington and Greene counties already encountered restrictions on the Parkway West (Interstate 376) or in the Fort Pitt Tunnels.
The $72.83 million parkway improvement project includes deck replacement of three bridges at the Carnegie interchange, as well as milling and resurfacing the entire corridor, along with other improvements. Most improvements will be done by December, although bridge painting will be done next year.
Half of the weekend closures of the tunnel were done, with additional closures planned for this weekend and in April. Single-lane restrictions will occur through December to allow for concrete repairs to the tunnel walls, electrical updates, drainage upgrades and other improvements. There also will be two weekend closures in 2016 for paving.
An additional lane was added to the outbound parkway between the Rosslyn Farms and Interstate 79 interchanges. A noise wall also will be built. That will conclude this fall.
Work also will continue on Route 50 (Steubenville Pike) and Routes 22/30. The remaining work, which includes painting and latex overlay on the bridges, traffic signal and pedestrian pole replacement, crosswalk improvements and embankment repairs, should be done in June.
A new project slated to start this year is a $19 million improvement project on Route 50 from the Washington County line to Millers Run Road in South Fayette Township. Work includes road reconstruction, drainage improvements and traffic signal upgrades. Work will be done this October.
The bridge that takes Washington Pike over Coal Run near Bursca Drive in South Fayette will be replaced starting next month. Traffic will be maintained, although large trucks will be detoured. A temporary structure will be built for pedestrian traffic.
The Liberty Bridge in Pittsburgh will be rehabilitated starting in late summer, although most of the work will be done in 2016 and 2017.