The Parkway East will close for 25 days early next month as part of the Commercial Street Bridge replacement project, which includes demolishing the old bridge, building a new one, and sliding it into place. PennDOT officials said additional work will be completed during the closure, including a $100 million betterment project adjacent to the bridge. Check out other questions we’ve answered for you by clicking here.What other work will PennDOT crews complete during the closure? “We are jam-packing as much work that we can get done while the parkway is closed,” said PennDOT District 11 Executive Jason Zang. “We have another project just abutting this one right now, $100 million betterment project.”According to Zang, crews will replace expansion dams, install new overlays on bridge decks, and replace median bearings from the bridge to the Churchill exit. This work would typically require overnight or weekend restrictions. The Squirrel Hill Tunnel will also be repaved. However, before the repaving begins, the tunnels will host an emergency response drill simulating a fire inside the tunnel. Zang says this drill was inspired by a similar incident on the Pennsylvania Turnpike earlier this summer.”These things happen. All of the emergency services are going to come out during the closure, and they’re going to use this time to do a drill, for a fire in our tunnel or some sort of catastrophe,” officials said. No specific date has been given for that emergency drill. Do you have questions about the project, the work or the detours? Send us an email at traffictip@wtae.com.FULL BREAKDOWN OF THE DETOURS: Click here

PITTSBURGH —

The Parkway East will close for 25 days early next month as part of the Commercial Street Bridge replacement project, which includes demolishing the old bridge, building a new one, and sliding it into place.

PennDOT officials said additional work will be completed during the closure, including a $100 million betterment project adjacent to the bridge.

Check out other questions we’ve answered for you by clicking here.

What other work will PennDOT crews complete during the closure?

“We are jam-packing as much work that we can get done while the parkway is closed,” said PennDOT District 11 Executive Jason Zang. “We have another project just abutting this one right now, $100 million betterment project.”

According to Zang, crews will replace expansion dams, install new overlays on bridge decks, and replace median bearings from the bridge to the Churchill exit. This work would typically require overnight or weekend restrictions.

The Squirrel Hill Tunnel will also be repaved. However, before the repaving begins, the tunnels will host an emergency response drill simulating a fire inside the tunnel.

Zang says this drill was inspired by a similar incident on the Pennsylvania Turnpike earlier this summer.

“These things happen. All of the emergency services are going to come out during the closure, and they’re going to use this time to do a drill, for a fire in our tunnel or some sort of catastrophe,” officials said.

No specific date has been given for that emergency drill.

Do you have questions about the project, the work or the detours? Send us an email at traffictip@wtae.com.

FULL BREAKDOWN OF THE DETOURS: Click here