Commercial Street residents are preparing for detours and disruptions as the Parkway East bridge project will close their road for more than a month, beginning Monday.“This road is a lifeline for people,” Doug Levine said as drivers and neighbors navigated a temporary road closure on Thursday.Levine shared his perspective on the street’s importance.“It’s like our little secret that we can bypass the parkway,” Levine said.“For our neighborhood, it’s going to be pretty bad to get out anywhere, because our only way out is through the detour route,” neighbor Geri Smith said.Thursday offered residents a glimpse of the detour traffic they will face when the Parkway East is closed from July 10 through Aug. 3. During that time, the Commercial Street Bridge is demolished and replaced by a new one being built alongside it.“We’re going to get a front-row seat to something that’s pretty unique. It’s not every day you get to see a bridge slide into place,” Smith said.The bridge project is the largest of its type in Pennsylvania history, according to PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll, who described it as “a stunning achievement, something I’m really proud of and I can’t wait to see it happen.”During a test slide on Thursday, crews lifted the new bridge, set it down, made adjustments and lifted it again to ensure everything reacts as expected. Carroll said this was a small preview of the larger move set to begin Monday.The full closure will affect Forward Avenue, the Nine Mile Run Trail and Commercial Street.“A lot of folks are kind of leaving town, including us. We’re fleeing the premises for about two weeks of the process,” Levine said.“I’ll get to work from home quite a bit,” Smith said.The bridge project promises to be a unique and historic undertaking, but for now, residents are bracing for the challenges ahead.PennDOT said Thursday’s Commercial Street closure will remain in effect until 9 p.m. while additional testing is done. The closure will go into effect again Monday at 7 a.m. and continue until the bridge project is complete on Aug. 3.

PITTSBURGH —

Commercial Street residents are preparing for detours and disruptions as the Parkway East bridge project will close their road for more than a month, beginning Monday.

“This road is a lifeline for people,” Doug Levine said as drivers and neighbors navigated a temporary road closure on Thursday.

Levine shared his perspective on the street’s importance.

“It’s like our little secret that we can bypass the parkway,” Levine said.

“For our neighborhood, it’s going to be pretty bad to get out anywhere, because our only way out is through the detour route,” neighbor Geri Smith said.

Thursday offered residents a glimpse of the detour traffic they will face when the Parkway East is closed from July 10 through Aug. 3. During that time, the Commercial Street Bridge is demolished and replaced by a new one being built alongside it.

“We’re going to get a front-row seat to something that’s pretty unique. It’s not every day you get to see a bridge slide into place,” Smith said.

The bridge project is the largest of its type in Pennsylvania history, according to PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll, who described it as “a stunning achievement, something I’m really proud of and I can’t wait to see it happen.”

During a test slide on Thursday, crews lifted the new bridge, set it down, made adjustments and lifted it again to ensure everything reacts as expected. Carroll said this was a small preview of the larger move set to begin Monday.

The full closure will affect Forward Avenue, the Nine Mile Run Trail and Commercial Street.

“A lot of folks are kind of leaving town, including us. We’re fleeing the premises for about two weeks of the process,” Levine said.

“I’ll get to work from home quite a bit,” Smith said.

The bridge project promises to be a unique and historic undertaking, but for now, residents are bracing for the challenges ahead.

PennDOT said Thursday’s Commercial Street closure will remain in effect until 9 p.m. while additional testing is done. The closure will go into effect again Monday at 7 a.m. and continue until the bridge project is complete on Aug. 3.