PennDOT closely monitoring Parkway East closure detour routes from real-time traffic center

With the Parkway East closed for the replacement of the Commercial Street Bridge, PennDOT is utilizing its Western Regional Traffic Management Center to stay one step ahead of trouble on detour routes.

"We always prepare for the worst and hope for the best," said PennDOT assistant district executive for maintenance Lori Musto.

They're keeping a close eye on the live cameras 24/7, all year round, from inside the Traffic Management Center.

During this twenty-five-day-long closure, PennDOT even controls the traffic lights, timing how long drivers wait at red lights.

"It takes a moment for us to make the update, but then for it to actually get up to the signal just a minute or two," PennDOT traffic engineer Stephanie Zolnak said.

It's important to control the flow of traffic, especially on detour routes, and they're making real-time changes, impacting 100,000 drivers in both directions daily.

"Probably a good dozen or more during each new traffic pattern in the morning, in the afternoon, and in the evening," said Zolnak.

Out on the roads, tunnel maintenance crews are spread throughout. PennDOT said the incident clear team goes out to help when cars break down.

Extra crews are on standby, especially on local and interstate detour roads, and alternative routes like Route 28.

Zolnak said, "With the alternative route using Route 28, we actually have two drivers with extended hours on that route. We have a driver that's on the interstate detour route into Wilkinsburg and then into the city of Pittsburgh."

The incident command center is staffed 24/7, too, with Musto and team rising to the occasion. 

"For special events, the NFL draft, we stood up," Musto said. "It gives us direct access to the central office, to area command. That opens up the even broader scale of the statewide level."

Locally, PennDOT researched the best detours ahead of the Commercial Street Bridge replacement.

Musto said, "We look at state routes, what could accommodate trucks, could the turning radius work?"

It's intentional work people ignored on Monday, detouring through Regent Square.

"A lot of people follow GPS, but people do live there. There are children playing. We don't want people going rogue and going through neighborhoods. We prefer you stay on the route, so we designate," said Musto.

If people go rogue and crashes happen, changeable message signs on the side of the road are controlled from the incident command center, too.

"We can go ahead and change the message signs in real time, and the motors can go out and see if they need to be in a particular lane or if they need to slow down because there's been an incident," said Zolnak.

"It takes a village to navigate you through the Parkway East closure," Musto said. "Really appreciate the public having patience with us during this time. We're trying to help make it as smooth as possible."

Nevertheless, it's twenty-five days of around-the-clock work versus four years of on-and-off inconvenience.

Heat adds challenge to project

Pittsburgh is in for another week of 90-degree temperatures, and while it's not expected to cause any delays, it adds to what is already a challenging project. 

"It is a flurry of work out there," PennDOT District 11 executive Jason Zang said. "It's something I haven't seen in my career here. I'm worried about their safety. I'm worried about the people walking around on that bridge as they demo it."

Both the old and new bridge sit right out in the open with little refuge from the sun and temperatures. Crews are working 12-hour shifts in the 24/7 operation. It's not new to construction crews — construction season usually lines up with Mother Nature ramping up the heat. 

"These are tough people," Zang said. "They work around the clock."

PennDOT said crews are trained and go over safety procedures. This includes hydrating, taking breaks and watching out for each other. Safety officers are out in the field. Because while it is hot, it's still a demolition area with moving pieces all over the work zone.

"It's a very well thought out plan and contractors are no strangers to it," Zang said. "Neither are PennDOT department forces."

According to the project manager, at shift change, there is a job site analysis to ensure everyone keeps their head on a swivel and is aware of the heat this week.

"We want to get through this project, have a successful project and have nobody get hurt," Zang said. "That's the goal."

PennDOT executives have also stressed that crews get the proper rest between shifts to make sure everyone is ready for the next day.