Commercial Street officially closes as bridge replacement project enters next phase

The orange signs are out, and closures have officially started for the Commercial Street Bridge project.

For weeks, we've been covering the lead-up to the project that is expected to cause traffic woes as the new bridge is put in place.

According to neighbors in Swisshelm Park, a road closure is not ideal, but it could be worse. The real test comes in a couple of weeks. For about the next five weeks, this closure is the new reality in Swisshelm Park and surrounding neighborhoods. 

Last fall into the winter, a closure was in place, so it's not all that new to people living in the area.

"I think, hopefully, now that it's summer and there's less traffic with people out of town and schools closed, it won't be as horrendous as it was over the winter," Vicki Yann with Swisshelm Forward said.

It's all part of the demolition of the current Commercial Street Bridge on the Parkway and sliding the new one into place. PennDOT said about 5,400 cars go through Commercial Street each day. The biggest question from the neighborhood group Swisshelm Forward is when Commercial Street will reopen.

While the bridge project is expected to be complete by Aug. 3, Commercial Street is slated for "early August." Neighbors hope it's done by the time the new school year begins.

"I'm sure if you asked members of the community, they'd take a wheelbarrow and a shovel to help clear debris. We would all go down there if it meant Commercial would open sooner. There's not much we can do but hope for the best," Yann said.

While this closure is not causing any major issues or panic, the big test starts in two weeks on July 10 when the Parkway East closes.

"The routes that people normally take in, that are not so bad from the north or maybe the south, are going to be more congested. I fully expect bright red on the traffic map all over the city on that Monday," Yann said.

Another challenge neighbors are bracing for is longer wait times for Pittsburgh Regional Transit buses with the detours and expected traffic.