PITTSBURGH \u2014 Oakland\u2019s Fifth Avenue was clogged with traffic Thursday thanks to construction on the side of the road.<\/p>\n
The scene didn\u2019t bode well for commuters the following week. Fifth Avenue is one of the five recommended detours PennDOT mapped out for commuters as the agency prepares to shut down three miles of the Parkway East.<\/p>\n
RELATED COVERAGE >>> What you need to know about the Commercial Street Bridge Replacement, upcoming Parkway East closure<\/a><\/p>\n The closure, set to begin at 9 p.m. Friday, will allow the agency to demolish the existing Commercial Street bridge and slide a replacement bridge into place.<\/p>\n Drivers said they\u2019re ready \u2013 but not really.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019ll all be backed up,\u201d Monroeville\u2019s Melissa Mishler said. \u201cI just wish it wouldn\u2019t be smack dab in the middle of summer, but really, when is the best time to do this?\u201d<\/p>\n PennDOT has advised the 100,000 people who use the bridge each day to pack snacks and drinks for at least the first few days as they deal with logjams and find the least painful route to and from the city.<\/p>\n That will extend to Pirates fans over the weekend. The team has a three-game home series against Milwaukee. Friday night fans could be some of the first to find a new way home.<\/p>\n The closures could end early if the contractor finishes sooner than planned. That will be partially reliant on a compliant weather system.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s obviously multiple ways to go and is this going to be which way is everybody else going to go, which ways are going to make the most sense to try to get around it,\u201d Hannah Fischer said as she walked down Oakland\u2019s streets.<\/p>\n In Wilkinsburg, community leaders are spying an opportunity. With more people traveling through Penn Avenue, the Community Development Corporation has bought billboard, launched a website and will be putting up signs advertising vacant storefronts and office space.<\/p>\n \u201cThey could actually move their business here,\u201d Monica Garcia said. \u201cWe have so many great vacant spaces available, and they would never have to deal with the tunnel traffic.\u201d<\/p>\n Download the FREE WPXI News app<\/a> for breaking news alerts.<\/p>\n Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook<\/a> and Twitter<\/a>. | Watch WPXI NOW<\/a><\/p>\n TOP STORIES FROM CHANNEL 11 NEWS <\/p>\n \u00a92026 Cox Media Group<\/p>\n