Commercial Street to reopen Monday three weeks after Parkway bridge closure
PITTSBURGH —
While drivers have been happily moving across the new Commercial Street Bridge for more than a week, Commercial Street is still closed.
However, that’s expected to change on Monday.
“For me, that street is more important than the bridge,” Tanille Maddox, who uses Commercial Street often, said. “I know a lot of people are happy about the bridge, but I’m much happier about things opening up over here.”
Maddox usually takes Commercial Street to visit her family in Swisshelm Park. For more than three weeks, it’s been more difficult getting there.
“It takes me about 10 minutes to get here,” she said. “Whenever everything’s closed and messed up, it takes me a good 25 minutes to get here.”
Amy Lampenfeld lives along Commercial Street and is tired of seeing cut-through traffic getting turned away.
“Traffic was unbelievable,” she said. “It was extremely inconvenient.”
After 35 days, Commercial Street will reopen. PennDOT closed the street below the bridge on Monday, July 29 for the initial test slide of the bridge. The Parkway reopened 17 days after closing.
“I thought it would go a lot longer than it did,” Lampenfeld said. “Now, I’m just really happy that they got it done quickly.”
While the reopening may bring more cut-through traffic back to the neighborhood, residents are glad to have it back.
“I’m glad it’s getting back,” Maddox said. “It was a lot of commotion, a lot of cars, and a lot going on.”
Monday will be the final step in getting everything around Commercial Street back to normal.
“I’m glad about that,” Maddox said. “I think it’ll be a lot better, calmer, and we’ll be able to get home a bit quicker.”
“I’m super happy about it,” Lampenfeld said. “I can’t wait.”
PennDOT hasn’t released an exact time for when Commercial Street will reopen Monday. It’s expected to be in the afternoon.
The full project won’t officially be completed until next summer. Crews still have to move Commercial Street and the Nine Mile Trail back to the original position. They will also restore the trails and landscaping.