PennDOT releases design plans for Parkway East Squirrel Hill interchange project
PennDOT has officially announced the design plan for the Parkway East Squirrel Hill Tunnel interchange, known as "Alternative F."
The goal of the project, according to PennDOT, is to "improve the safety of the 100,000 vehicles traveling through daily and reduce crashes near the existing interchange."
The current design of intertwining lanes dates back to the 1950s.
"It was innovative at the time, but definitely outdated with the current traffic volumes we have," PennDOT District 11 senior project manager Cheryl Solosky said.
In 2021, PennDOT started tossing around ideas to make traffic flow easier in that area. After getting feedback on several designs over the past few months, they decided on Alternative "F."
"Primarily based on feedback, this is the alternative that we decided to pursue," Solosky said.
One of the biggest changes is the on-ramp coming from Beechwood Boulevard that has a stop sign and taggles up with people getting off the parkway. That will be no more. Instead, there will be a new ramp getting people off the parkway before the Greenfield Bridge and a new ramp coming from Beechwood Boulevard that never intersect. To do this, six properties will be lost and homeowners relocated.
"This alternative balances that better than any of the alternatives that we looked at," PennDOT District 11 executive Jason Zang said.
Additionally, the current inbound off-ramp and on-ramps will be redesigned to not have the current bridge that goes over the parkway. A new bridge will be built to get people going inbound to Beechwood Boulevard. Expect restrictions when this project starts.
"Exactly what that looks like, it's too early to tell. You can bet on nightly lane restrictions. They'll probably be some closures, of course," Zang said.
There will be other changes to Beechwood Boulevard that involve bike facilities, bus stops and traffic signals as well. PennDOT tried to make sure they eliminated as little street parking as they could for homeowners near the project. The budget is $138 million. It's tentatively set to be done between 2029 and 2032.
The full rendering of "Alternative F" can be found on the project website at this link.