Parkway East Betterment Project to begin on Monday
PennDOT wants everyone to be aware of big changes coming to the Parkway East starting on Monday. And unlike many of our New Year's resolutions, this is going to last.
The saying goes something like, "Be like the Parkway East, and never stop trying to improve yourself."
PennDOT's John Myler says this "glow up" will take two years.
"The last time this section of the Parkway was really experiencing a rehab project was back in 2009," said Myler, senior assistant construction manager at PennDOT.
Seventeen years of wear and tear mean about $300 million worth of needed work along the Parkway East starting on Monday.
Drivers should prepare for overnight closures between the Edgewood/Swissvale and Churchill interchanges on weeknights from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. PennDOT will close the shoulders on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Five Parkway ramps will also see some improvements. These ramps are listed below.
- Edgewood/Swissvale (Exit 77) interchange ramps
- Eastbound I-376 ramp to Forest Hills (Exit 78A)
- Wilkinsburg (Exit 78B) interchange ramps
- Eastbound I-376 ramp to Greensburg Pike (Exit 79A)
- Churchill (Exit 79B) interchange ramps
"A lot of this work is preparatory," Myler said, "so we're going to get out there and get a lot of measurements that they need to procure certain things. Bridge bearings and expansion dams that they need to measure for to have those fabricated so that we have them in time for the spring."
Don't expect to see any shovels breaking ground until springtime. By late summer, expect the much-talked-about, 25-day total Parkway closure for the Commercial Street Bridge project.
"With the bridge work, we'll be improving the ride of those on and off the bridges to the pavement. We're replacing the median barrier, so if you're a frequent user of the road, you'll see that it's been deteriorating, and it's pretty small when you compare it to what you see in the new standards for median barriers. That'll be upgrading that to provide more safety and protection there for motorists along the road."
Milling and pavement of the Parkway's asphalt will also mean fewer potholes in the years to come.
Myler said that a large portion of the work will take place at night and on weekends to minimize the inconvenience to drivers.