PITTSBURGH \u2014 Final preparations were underway Friday afternoon as crews planned to close the Parkway East near the Commercial Street Bridge for 25 days.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a day that a lot of people have been dreading, but they told Channel 11 they\u2019ll plan to make it work. We spoke with drivers trying to figure out the best ways to navigate this closure, as some of the city\u2019s biggest employers try to make it easier for their workers.<\/p>\n
The road will be closed from 9 p.m. on July 10 until 5 a.m. on Aug. 3, as PennDOT crews demolish and replace the Commercial Street Bridge.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has to be done, so what are you going to do about it?\u201d said Jim Serafin of North Huntingdon. He is planning to go to the Pittsburgh Pirates game and concert on Saturday.<\/p>\n
\u201cRight now, we\u2019re trying to figure out what route we\u2019re going to take, so we\u2019ll see. We dealt with this years ago when the Parkway was closed totally,\u201d Serafin said. \u201cThank goodness for GPS.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some of the detours will take traffic through the City of Pittsburgh and residential neighborhoods. Truck driver LaTonya Hart said she\u2019ll have her work cut out for her over the next 25 days.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt all depends on the routing and where I need to go, but pretty much, I\u2019m going to have to figure it out \u2013 figure out the slick ways, just because I know certain roads that probably some people don\u2019t,\u201d Hart said.<\/p>\n
Mayor Corey O\u2019Connor says the city will be deploying first responders in different areas temporarily.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe, obviously, have a firehouse in Swisshelm Park and are working through all of those details so that we do have extra officers out there so that if there\u2019s an emergency, they can get there a lot easier than having to go through the whole detour,\u201d O\u2019Connor said.<\/p>\n
Several of the city\u2019s biggest employers, including PNC, are encouraging flexible work options, including remote work and adjusted schedules. The University of Pittsburgh is also encouraging supervisors to allow employees who can to work remotely and allow for flexibility in the hours they work as well.<\/p>\n
Others, like Highmark Health, did not have plans to modify expectations for hybrid or on-site team members, stating that its hospitals would be operating normally.<\/p>\n
O\u2019Connor had this message for all of those affected:<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease just give yourself a little more time. To my former residents in Swisshelm Park, I know it\u2019s going to be tough. Commercial\u2019s been closed for a while, but we\u2019ll all get through this and everybody will find their way,\u201d O\u2019Connor said.<\/p>\n
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