Bridge replacement project to close Parkway East for 25 days, PennDOT says
THIS IS PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR WITH BREAKING NEWS GETTING RIGHT TO THIS BREAKING NEWS. A ROLLOVER CRASH IS RIGHT NOW RESTRICTING TRAFFIC ON PART OF ROUTE 51 IN THE SOUTH HILLS. BALDWIN FIRE RESCUE JUST SHARED THIS PHOTO FROM THE SCENE A SHORT TIME AGO. THIS IS HAPPENING NEAR FIDELITY DRIVE AND THE PLEASANT HILLS CLOVERLEAF. WE UNDERSTAND A TRACTOR TRAILER IS TWISTED IN THE ROAD THERE. WE DON’T KNOW YET ABOUT ANY INJURIES, AND POLICE ARE ADVISING PEOPLE TO USE CAUTION IN THAT AREA WHILE THEY CLEAN UP. AND OF COURSE, WE WILL KEEP YOU POSTED THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON WITH WHAT WE LEARNED THERE. THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US HERE FOR PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR AT 4:00. I’M KELLY SASSO AND GOOD AFTERNOON, I’M ANDREW STOCKEY. HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENING AND WHAT WE’RE WORKING ON, BEGINNING WITH YOUR TOP STORIES AT 4:00. OUR WET MORNING IS NOW BECOMING A WET EVENING COMMUTE. THE RAIN KEEPS ON FALLING ON THIS IMPACT DAY. WE ARE ALSO WATCHING FOR THE NEXT SYSTEM COMING OUR WAY THIS WEEKEND. SATURDAY IS NOW A SEVERE WEATHER ALERT DAY. BREAKING NEWS KRISTI NOEM IS OUT AS HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY. THE PRESIDENT SAYS SHE’S BEING MOVED TO A NEW SECURITY INITIATIVE. HE’S NOMINATING OKLAHOMA SENATOR MARKWAYNE MULLIN TO TAKE OVER AND AN IMPORTANT DRILL AHEAD OF THE NFL DRAFT IN PITTSBURGH. ALLEGHENY GENERAL HOSPITAL PREPARED THEIR EMPLOYEES FOR THE WORST TODAY WITH A MASS CASUALTY EMERGENCY DRILL. THE DRAFT WILL BE BRINGING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TO TOWN IN JUST SEVEN WEEKS. AND ANDREW MCCUTCHEN REPORTEDLY SIGNED WITH THE TEXAS RANGERS. THAT’S ACCORDING TO OUR NEWS PARTNERS AT THE TRIB. THE FIVE TIME ALL STAR IN 2013, NATIONAL LEAGUE MVP WILL JOIN THE RANGERS ON A MINOR LEAGUE CONTRACT. NOW, IF HE MAKES THE BIG LEAGUE ROSTER, THE PIRATES PLAY THE RANGERS IN TEXAS. THAT WILL BE IN LATE APRIL. AND THOSE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES. AT 4:00 ON THIS THURSDAY AFTERNOON. TIME NOW FOR THE SOGGY EDITION OF PITTSBURGH’S ACTION WEATHER. LET’S GET RIGHT TO IT. METEOROLOGIST BRIAN JUNIOR IS HERE. YOU’VE BEEN TRACKING THE RAIN ALL DAY. IT’S BEEN WITH US SINCE THIS MORNING. HOW MUCH MORE DO WE HAVE TO GET THROUGH TONIGHT? STILL A COUPLE MORE HOURS. BUT THE HEAVY, WIDESPREAD RAIN WE SAW THIS MORNING IS GONE. IT’S MORE SCATTERED VARIETY. SHOWERS NOW. AND THE GOOD NEWS, WE ARE GOING TO DRY OUT TOMORROW. THAT’S OUR FIRST CHANCE THIS YEAR AT HITTING 70. WE ARE WATCHING SATURDAY. IT IS NOW SEVERE WEATHER ALERT DAY AS STORMS ROLL IN. AS WE HEAD THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING, AND WE WILL STAY WARM AT LEAST UNTIL THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. RAIN SHOWERS ARE FALLING ACROSS WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA. THE HEAVIEST RAIN IS NORTH OF THE CITY AND INTO PORTIONS OF BUTLER, VENANGO FOREST AND CLARION COUNTY, ESPECIALLY NORTH OF BUTLER ON ROUTE EIGHT, STRETCHING OVER TOWARDS FRANKLIN OIL CITY. ALSO SEEING THOSE HEAVIER DOWNPOURS. THIS WILL EXIT THE AREA IN ABOUT 45 MINUTES OR SO, AND THE RAIN SHOWERS OVERALL SHOULD COME TO AN END AS WE GET TOWARDS ABOUT 8 OR 9:00 AND THEN THE CLOUDS AND FOG WILL AGAIN BE WITH US TOMORROW MORNING. WE’LL CLIMB TO 70 THOUGH, FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS YEAR. TOMORROW, 75 SATURDAY. THE RECORD IS 76, WITH STORMS ARRIVING IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. I’LL TIME THAT OUT FOR YOU. AND NOT A BIG COOLDOWN WITH THIS FIRST COLD FRONT. A BIGGER COOLDOWN THOUGH, IS COMING NEXT WEEK SATURDAY. WE’RE TALKING ABOUT SEVERE WEATHER ALERT DAY. YES, THERE’S A CHANCE OF SEEING SOME STRONGER STORMS. DAMAGING WINDS ARE THE PRIMARY CONCERN BETWEEN ABOUT FOUR AND 8:00 SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR EVERYONE EYEING THOSE TEMPERATURES ON SATURDAY. FIRST HALF OF THE DAY PRETTY DRY TO GET OUT SATURDAY BEFORE ABOUT 4:00. SHOULD BE FINE. IN FACT, WE MAY STAY DRY UNTIL THAT COLD FRONT GETS HERE FOR A FEW HOURS. WE’LL TAKE THAT. OKAY, BRIAN, THANKS SO MUCH. WE’LL SEE YOU HERE IN JUST A LITTLE BIT. AND A REMINDER FOR YOU. YOU CAN ALWAYS STAY AHEAD OF THE WEATHER USING OUR FREE WTAE APP. YOU CAN USE IT TO TRACK THE RAIN WITH LIVE RADAR FEATURE. YOU CAN ALSO TURN ON THE ALERTS SO YOU CAN STAY AHEAD OF THE STORM, ESPECIALLY WITH SATURDAY’S ALERT DAY COMING. MORE NOW ON OUR TOP STORIES. AT FOUR HOSPITALS, THEY DEAL WITH EMERGENCIES ALL THE TIME, BUT ONE IS ON A LARGER SCALE, MAY BE A NEW EXPERIENCE. ALLEGHENY GENERAL HOSPITAL WANTS TO ENSURE ITS STAFF IS READY, AND SEVEN WEEKS FROM TODAY IS ROUND ONE OF THE NFL DRAFT. HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WILL BE COMING HERE TO PITTSBURGH TO SEE THE DRAFT IN PERSON. SO TODAY CREATED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALLEGHENY GENERAL HOSPITAL TO TRAIN FOR THE WORST. A MASS CASUALTY EMERGENCY COVERING ALLEGHENY COUNTY ON THE NORTH SHORE. PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR REPORTER KALEA GUNDERSON IS JOINING US NOW LIVE IN KATY. YOU GOT TO SEE THEM DO THIS TODAY. WELL, KELLY, ANDREW HGH PUTTING ITS EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS EFFICIENCY TO THE TEST. JUST 49 DAYS FROM WHEN THE NFL DRAFT WILL BE HERE IN PITTSBURGH. THE GOAL IS TO MAKE IT AS REALISTIC AS POSSIBLE. HOSPITAL STAFF, FROM DOCTORS TO CUSTODIAL STAFF, ACTING AS IF THEY WERE DEALING WITH A MASS CASUALTY EVENT. TAKE A LOOK. PATIENTS BEING BROUGHT IN AND CARED FOR AS IF THEY ARE SUFFERING REAL INJURIES. AND IT’S PRETEND CASE AFTER CASE TO SIMULATE A REAL MASS CASUALTY EVENT. DOCTOR BRANT RAO, THE MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT FOR HGH. HGH. EXCUSE ME. TELLING ME AS THE LEVEL ONE TRAUMA CENTER CLOSEST TO NEAR WHERE THE NFL DRAFT WILL BE HELD IN APRIL. THEY HAVE TO BE PREPARED FOR WORST CASE SCENARIO EMERGENCIES. IT’S NOT JUST DOCTORS AND NURSES. WE’VE GOT PARAMEDICS. WE’VE GOT SECURITY. YOU’VE PROBABLY SEEN ALL THE ENTRANCES ACTING LIKE A REAL TRUE MASS CASUALTY EVENT. WE’VE GOT, YOU KNOW, INCREASED, YOU KNOW, CUSTODIAL STAFF TURNING OVER BEDS. IT’S A IT’S A ALL HANDS ON DECK PROCESS. WE DON’T WANT TO JUST FOCUS ON JUST THE MEDICAL CARE. IT’S A HUGE TEAM EFFORT ACROSS THE ENTIRE HOSPITAL. AND DOCTOR BRANT ROSS SAYS THEY WILL BE STAFFED EXTRA THROUGHOUT THAT ENTIRE WEEKEND. KELLY, ANDREW AND KELLY, DOCTORS AT HGH GOT IN TOUCH WITH HOSPITALS AT SOME OF THE OTHER PREVIOUS HOST CITIES TO SEE HOW IT WENT FOR THEM AND HOW THEY TRAINED FOR IT. YES, HE SAYS HE HAS BEEN IN TOUCH WITH PEOPLE IN BOTH GREEN BAY, DETROIT AS WELL AS WITH THE NFL, TRYING TO GAUGE WHAT LEVEL OF CARE WAS EXPECTED THAT WEEKEND AND WHAT THEY SAW, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY ACTUALLY HOSTED THAT EVENT. SO A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH COMMUNICATION ABOUT WHAT THEIR EXPERIENCE WAS LIKE. MUCH MORE ON THAT COMING UP TONIGHT AT 5:00 COVERING ALLEGHENY COUNTY TONIGHT ON THE NORTH SHORE KALEA GUNDERSON PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR. KELLY. THANK YOU. AND SPEAKING OF THE NFL DRAFT. PITTSBURGH MAYOR COREY O’CONNOR WANTS A MAJOR ISSUE RESOLVED BEFORE IT KICKS OFF. IF YOU’VE BEEN WITH US, YOU KNOW, WE’VE BEEN REPORTING TO YOU THIS WEEK ABOUT THESE THREATS AND ANTI-SEMITIC MESSAGES THAT HAVE BEEN BROADCAST OVER PUBLIC SAFETY SCANNER CHANNELS. SOME OF THOSE THREATS WERE EVEN MADE ABOUT MAYOR COREY O’CONNOR, PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR REPORTER. SHELDON INGRAM IS JOINING US LIVE DOWNTOWN. SHELDON, WE KNOW YOU SPOKE WITH THE MAYOR TODAY. IS THERE ANY UPDATE ON THIS SITUATION? WELL, HERE’S WHAT WE KNOW IN THE MATTER RIGHT NOW. ALLEGHENY COUNTY EMERGENCY SERVICES SAYS THAT THE INVESTIGATION IS STILL MOVING FORWARD. THEY’RE STILL TRYING TO IDENTIFY WHOEVER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR SENDING THE DISTURBING MESSAGES ACROSS PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS CHANNELS. NOW, MAYOR COREY O’CONNOR, AS YOU JUST MENTIONED, HAS A LOT TO SAY ABOUT IT. HE WEIGHED IN ON THE INVESTIGATION TODAY WHILE ATTENDING A RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY. IT IS A MATTER OF SOMEONE SENDING ANTI-SEMITIC MESSAGES, RACIST MESSAGES, AS WELL AS THREATS DIRECTED AT THE MAYOR. HE SAYS RIGHT NOW, IT HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED IF IT IS A CITY OR COUNTY EMPLOYEE OR SOMEONE INTERCEPTED THOSE COMMUNICATIONS CHANNELS. HOWEVER, THE MAYOR SAYS IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT THOSE CHANNELS ARE SECURED BECAUSE OF THREE MAJOR EVENTS IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE. WE HAVE PARADES COMING UP, AS YOU SAID, THE MARATHON, OBVIOUSLY THE DRAFT. SO PREPARING FOR ALL THOSE THINGS. AND I THINK THAT’S WHY YOU’RE SEEING A LOT OF NATIONAL ATTENTION TO THIS, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL CHANNELS ARE GOING TO BE CLEAR AND EVERYBODY CAN COMMUNICATE. WHEN WE DO HAVE LARGE EVENTS COMING IN THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS. ALSO TONIGHT, CITY COUNCILMAN ANTHONY COGHILL SAYS THAT THESE MESSAGES HAVE BEEN ACTUALLY ONGOING AS EARLY AS LAST YEAR. MORE ON THAT IN THE NEXT HOUR. FOR NOW, COVERING ALLEGHENY COUNTY IN PITTSBURGH, SHELDON INGRAM PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR. OKAY, SHANNON. THANK YOU. WE HAVE SOME MORE BREAKING NEWS TO GET TO THIS AFTERNOON. KRISTI NOEM IS OUT AS HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY. PRESIDENT TRUMP MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY ON TRUTH SOCIAL. SHE IS THE FIRST CABINET SECRETARY TO LEAVE DURING HIS SECOND TERM. PRESIDENT IS NOW NOMINATING OKLAHOMA SENATOR MARK WAYNE MULLEN TO REPLACE HER. NOEM JUST FINISHED TWO DAYS OF QUESTIONING ON CAPITOL HILL ON AN ARRAY OF TOPICS, INCLUDING THE ICE CRACKDOWN IN MINNEAPOLIS. PRESIDENT SAYS SHE WILL NOW BE NAMED A SPECIAL ENVOY FOR THE SHIELD OF THE AMERICAS. TH
Bridge replacement project to close Parkway East for 25 days, PennDOT says
Updated: 6:51 PM EST Mar 5, 2026
Part of the Parkway East will close for 25 days this summer as crews work to complete the $95 million Commercial Street Bridge Replacement project, PennDOT officials announced.VIDEO: Top stories on Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 “We’re doing the one-month closure and the complex process of sliding the new structure into place for a very important reason: to avoid a traditional four-year construction project,” PennDOT officials said in an announcement packet obtained Thursday. “While the one-month closure will still push traffic into nearby neighborhoods, it’s far less disruptive than four years of constant congestion.”A 25-day closure has been scheduled. All Parkway traffic between the Wilkinsburg exit (78B) and the Forbes Avenue/Oakland exit (72A) will be closed July 10, 2026, through Aug. 3, 2026. PennDOT says any changes to the scheduled dates will be announced as work continues. Single-lane access will be provided to Squirrel Hill/Edgewood for local traffic only.PennDOT says the Parkway East currently serves 100,000 vehicles a day, and that the project will improve safety by replacing the aging bridge’s structural integrity. Officials are using an Accelerated Bridge Construction plan that includes a “lateral slide-in method.” The old bridge will be removed, and the new one that is under construction will be slid into place.”We’re sharing information well in advance, giving motorists time to plan alternate routes and even adjust work schedules if needed,” PennDOT said.The slide-in method prevents crews from working on the bridge in sections, which would prolong the process and cause multiple lane restrictions and shifts. In preparation for the project, officials say Commercial Street and Nine Mile Run Trail will also close in preparation for and during the project until mid-August.Commercial Street will be closed at Whipple Street in Swisshelm Park. “Road Closed Local Traffic Only” signs will be placed at these locations to allow residents access to their homes.For more information, you can view PennDOT’s announcement packet here.
PITTSBURGH —
Part of the Parkway East will close for 25 days this summer as crews work to complete the $95 million Commercial Street Bridge Replacement project, PennDOT officials announced.
VIDEO: Top stories on Pittsburgh’s Action News 4
“We’re doing the one-month closure and the complex process of sliding the new structure into place for a very important reason: to avoid a traditional four-year construction project,” PennDOT officials said in an announcement packet obtained Thursday. “While the one-month closure will still push traffic into nearby neighborhoods, it’s far less disruptive than four years of constant congestion.”
A 25-day closure has been scheduled.
All Parkway traffic between the Wilkinsburg exit (78B) and the Forbes Avenue/Oakland exit (72A) will be closed July 10, 2026, through Aug. 3, 2026. PennDOT says any changes to the scheduled dates will be announced as work continues.
Single-lane access will be provided to Squirrel Hill/Edgewood for local traffic only.
PennDOT says the Parkway East currently serves 100,000 vehicles a day, and that the project will improve safety by replacing the aging bridge’s structural integrity.
Officials are using an Accelerated Bridge Construction plan that includes a “lateral slide-in method.” The old bridge will be removed, and the new one that is under construction will be slid into place.
“We’re sharing information well in advance, giving motorists time to plan alternate routes and even adjust work schedules if needed,” PennDOT said.
The slide-in method prevents crews from working on the bridge in sections, which would prolong the process and cause multiple lane restrictions and shifts.
In preparation for the project, officials say Commercial Street and Nine Mile Run Trail will also close in preparation for and during the project until mid-August.
Commercial Street will be closed at Whipple Street in Swisshelm Park. “Road Closed Local Traffic Only” signs will be placed at these locations to allow residents access to their homes.
For more information, you can view PennDOT’s announcement packet here.