PITTSBURGH, PA — Parkway East motorists have a disturbing decision to make: Either get out of town for nearly a month in July, or risk being stuck in what the inevitable traffic jams during a distressing time on one of the city’s main thoroughfares.
A PennDOT spokesperson said Tuesday that it’s anticipated the a portion of the parkway will be closed from July 10 to Aug. 3 so the demolition of the Commercial Street Bridge and the installation of its replacement can occur. Those dates, first reported by KDKA-TV, are subject to change.
The $95 million project located between the Edgewood/Swissvale interchange and Squirrel Hill
Tunnel has included the temporary relocation of Commercial Street and the Nine Mile Run Trail in Frick Park below the bridge, the relocation of sanitary sewer lines, and portions of phased ITS work.
The Commercial Street bridge replacement project will utilize Accelerated Bridge Construction
Techniques to laterally slide the new bridge onto the existing alignment of the parkway, which will be one of the largest lateral slide projects ever performed in Pennsylvania.
The replacement bridge has been under construction in Frick Park adjacent to the existing structure.