FACE UP TO FIVE YEARS IN PRISON. HAPPENING NOW, SOME DRIVERS TAKE THEIR FINAL TRIP OVER THE COMMERCIAL STREET BRIDGE BEFORE CREWS REMOVE AND REPLACE IT. THE PROJECT TO GET ALL THAT DONE WILL SHUT DOWN THE PARKWAY EAST FOR WEEKS. STARTING TONIGHT. WE HAVE BEEN TELLING YOU THE CLOSURE IS EXPECTED TO LAST FOR 25 DAYS. THAT MEANS MANY OF YOU WILL NEED TO PLAN AHEAD, LIKE RIGHT NOW, TO GET AROUND THIS CLOSURE. HERE IS PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR REPORTER AVA RASH TO EXPLAIN WHY PENNDOT CHOSE RIGHT NOW FOR THE CLOSURE. IN JUST A FEW HOURS, THE PARKWAY EAST IS GOING TO SHUT DOWN FOR GOOD FOR THE NEXT 25 DAYS, CAUSING A TRAFFIC HEADACHE FOR 100,000 DRIVERS. PENNDOT SAYS TODAY’S DATE FOR THE CLOSURE WAS PICKED FOR A REASON. THIS IS JUST A SCALE THAT IS SO GRAND COMPARED TO ANYTHING WE’VE DONE IN THE PAST. BETWEEN SCHOOL OUT FOR SUMMER AND PEOPLE ON VACATION. PENNDOT SAYS JULY WAS THE PERFECT TIME FOR THIS MASSIVE CLOSURE, ESPECIALLY SINCE JULY HAS THE LOWEST AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC ON THE PARKWAY. WE JUST FELT LIKE THIS WAS WITHOUT A DOUBT THE BEST WAY TO DO IT, JUST TO GET IT DONE AND GET OUT OF PEOPLE’S WAY. THIS IS A VERY UNIQUE PROJECT. PENNDOT IS USING ACCELERATED BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION WITH A LATERAL SLIDE IN METHOD. THIS APPROACH ALLOWED MOST WORK TO BE DONE OFF SITE LEADING UP TO TODAY. THEY HAD TO HIT JULY 10TH. THEY HAD TO HIT THAT DATE. THEY HAD TO BE READY TO GO. POURING THE DECK, I FORGET HOW MANY PLACEMENTS THEY HAD. YOU KNOW BETTER THAN ME. NINE. I THINK IT WAS. I THINK THAT’S ALL THE DECK PLACEMENTS, THE PUTTING, THE BARRIER, THE FOUNDATIONS, THE STEEL –, THE DELIVERIES OF THE STEEL. I MEAN, THERE’S SO MANY THINGS, BUT IT HAD TO GET TO JULY 10TH FOR THIS TO BE SUCCESSFUL. PENNDOT SAYS THIS METHOD PREVENTED LANE CLOSURES THAT COULD HAVE LASTED MORE THAN FOUR YEARS. SO HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT THE WORK GETS DONE IN THOSE 25 DAYS? THERE IS A MONETARY INCENTIVE FOR COMPLETING THE WORK EARLY. PLUS, IF THE PROJECT RUNS PAST THE 25 DAY TIMELINE, THERE ARE FINANCIAL PENALTIES AND THE CLOSURE STARTS AT 9:00 TONIGHT. FOR NOW, COVERING ALLEGHENY COUNTY IN SQUIRREL HILL. AVA RASH PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR RIGHT NOW ON █THE WTAE.COM
Parkway East to close for 25 days starting Friday night
The Parkway East will close for 25 days starting tonight at 9 p.m., with PennDOT using an innovative construction method to minimize long-term disruptions.
Updated: 12:45 PM EDT Jul 10, 2026
The Parkway East, between the Squirrel Hill Tunnel and Edgewood-Swissvale exits, will close Friday at 9 p.m. for a 25-day construction project, with PennDOT citing July as the ideal time for the closure due to lower traffic volumes during summer. “This is just a scale that is so grand compared to anything we’ve done in the past,” said Jason Zang, PennDOT District 11 executive. >> Learn more about the detours ahead of the closure.PennDOT selected July for the closure because schools are out for summer, many people are on vacation, and the month has the lowest average daily traffic on the Parkway. Zang explained that this approach was the most efficient way to complete the project. “We just felt like this was without a doubt, the best way to do it, to just to get it done, get out of people’s way,” Zang said. Looking for more news in your area | Subscribe to the WTAE YouTube ChannelThe project involves accelerated bridge construction using a lateral slide-in method, which allowed most of the work to be completed off-site before the closure. Zang emphasized the importance of meeting the July 10 start date. “They had to hit July 10th. They had to hit that date. They had to be ready to go pouring the deck. I forget how many placements they had. You know better than me. Nine. I think it was all right. All the deck placement is the putting the barrier, the foundations, the steel erection, the deliveries of the steel. I mean, there’s so many things, but it had to get to July 10th for this to be successful,” Zang said. PennDOT said this method prevented lane closures that could have lasted more than four years. To ensure the project is completed on time, there is a monetary incentive for finishing early and financial penalties for exceeding the 25-day timeline. Download the WTAE app to stay connected with breaking news. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news in your inbox.
PITTSBURGH —
The Parkway East, between the Squirrel Hill Tunnel and Edgewood-Swissvale exits, will close Friday at 9 p.m. for a 25-day construction project, with PennDOT citing July as the ideal time for the closure due to lower traffic volumes during summer.
“This is just a scale that is so grand compared to anything we’ve done in the past,” said Jason Zang, PennDOT District 11 executive.
>> Learn more about the detours ahead of the closure.
PennDOT selected July for the closure because schools are out for summer, many people are on vacation, and the month has the lowest average daily traffic on the Parkway. Zang explained that this approach was the most efficient way to complete the project.
“We just felt like this was without a doubt, the best way to do it, to just to get it done, get out of people’s way,” Zang said.
Looking for more news in your area | Subscribe to the WTAE YouTube Channel
The project involves accelerated bridge construction using a lateral slide-in method, which allowed most of the work to be completed off-site before the closure. Zang emphasized the importance of meeting the July 10 start date.
“They had to hit July 10th. They had to hit that date. They had to be ready to go pouring the deck. I forget how many placements they had. You know better than me. Nine. I think it was all right. All the deck placement is the putting the barrier, the foundations, the steel erection, the deliveries of the steel. I mean, there’s so many things, but it had to get to July 10th for this to be successful,” Zang said.
PennDOT said this method prevented lane closures that could have lasted more than four years. To ensure the project is completed on time, there is a monetary incentive for finishing early and financial penalties for exceeding the 25-day timeline.
Download the WTAE app to stay connected with breaking news. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news in your inbox.