Tarentum Bridge, Route 28 projects could cause headaches for motorists
Mar. 31—Motorists using the Tarentum Bridge can expect 15-minute rolling closures later this spring and a 16-day closure of the bridge in the summer as part of a $3.2 million project to improve the intersection with Freeport Road, PennDOT officials said Wednesday.
PennDOT is working with local officials to ease the strain caused by closure of the Tarentum Bridge, PennDOT District 11 Executive Cheryl Moon-Sirianni said. About 30,000 vehicles cross the bridge daily.
The bridge carries Route 366 across the Allegheny River to New Kensington. The road is locally known as Ross Street on the Tarentum side of the bridge and Tarentum Bridge Road on the New Ken side.
People also can expect extensive projects on Route 28 this year, including continuing work on a $12.2 million project to improve the road from Millvale to the Highland Park Bridge in an attempt to eliminate the one-lane bottlenecks in both directions, Moon-Sirianni said.
About 62,000 vehicles pass through Route 28 at the Highland Park Bridge daily, PennDOT said.
In addition to the improvements between Millvale and the Highland Park Bridge, PennDOT also will be working to improve 3.5 miles of Route 28 from the bridge to the RIDC Park.
The $12 million to $14 million project will widen the Exit 8 (Waterworks) interchange, realign the southbound lanes of the road, rebuild the Delafield Avenue ramps and eliminate the last bottleneck on the road at the Fox Chapel exit, Moon-Sirianni said.
There also will be lighting upgrades, she said.
The Route 28 projects will be coordinated to minimize disruptions, although there will be lane restrictions during off-peak hours, including overnight work.
"That's the goal," she said.
PennDOT also will be working on the bridge that carries Route 910 (Gibsonia Road) over Deer Creek in West Deer in a more than $1 million project set to begin this summer that will include single-lane traffic controlled by a temporary traffic signal.
Damage from a landslide on Oak Manor Drive in Harrison also will be repaired in a $750,000 project set to start this spring. That will include closing the road between Buchanan Street and Karns Road, PennDOT said.
The projects are just a portion of the $296 million in work scheduled by PennDOT that will either begin or will be completed this year.
Tom Davidson is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tom at 724-226-4715, tdavidson@triblive.com or via Twitter .
