The Route 28 wrong-way detection project will begin next week in Allegheny County. 

According to PennDOT, starting on Monday, weather permitting, safety improvement work on the off-ramps in Pittsburgh, Millvale, Sharpsburg, Etna, Aspinwall, Shaler, O'Hara, and Harmar begins. 

As the work starts, there will be shoulder restrictions during the week from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. on the off-ramps at the Millvale interchange through Friday, May 9. 

The project will include installing fiber, sensors, detectors, signs, lighting, and cameras along Route 28 between Anderson Street in the city and the Harmar/I-76/Route 910 interchange in Harmar Township. 

These cameras and sensors will work to detect wrong-way drivers entering Route 28. The signs and lights will automatically alert drivers, and a notification will be sent to PennDOT's Western Regional Traffic Management Center. 

According to PennDOT's latest data from 2019-2023, there were 30 wrong-way incidents. Those ranged from property damage to deadly crashes. This $4.8 million project will involve some road work, including some exit lane shifts, crews working, and in some cases, detours.

Arrows will also be painted on roads, and red lenses will be around them to tell drivers they are going the wrong way. Now, for drivers driving in the right direction on exits, all they should notice is arrows saying they are in the right direction.

"To you, it's just going to look like a regular ramp with another pavement marking. That's also the benefit, it's not going to be disruptive," PennDOT District 11 traffic engineer Stephanie Zolnak said.

PennDOT said they should wrap up everything by the spring of 2026.