Highway projects advance despite pandemic
Construction in general — and road work in particular — has been severely reduced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Road work was halted for about three weeks beginning in March and resumed at a substantially lower level than expected because fewer motorists on the road meant less revenue available from gasoline taxes.
But there is still millions of dollars of road work being done this summer throughout the region.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation authorized continuing projects to resume and others considered important for safety reasons to begin under strict social distancing protocols in mid-April. Here are the five projects the department identified as the most important in each of the three maintenance districts in Western Pennsylvania.
District 10
This district covers Armstrong, Butler, Clarion, Indiana and Jefferson counties.
Dolby Street-Route 68 — This $16.8 million project that began in the fall of 2018 will increase capacity to and ease the flow of traffic through a heavily traveled commercial area of Clarion County by adding traffic and turn lanes in addition to maintenance work.
This area is just off Exit 62 of Interstate 80 and sees a lot of traffic due to the Walmart Supercenter, the Clarion Mall, hotels, restaurants and gas stations in the area. It also is a major route for commuters going to Clarion.
Plum Contracting is expected to finish the project in May 2021.
Old Route 422, Armstrong County — This $12.9 million project in Kittanning Township near the intersection of Kittanning Elementary is designed to reduce sharp curves and improve sight distance by eliminating hills.
Contractor Glenn O. Hawbaker Inc. has been working since July 2018 to improve the horizontal and vertical grade of curves along the highway and reduce the steepness of grades in some areas. The project also will add a left turn lane at Silvis Hollow Road and 8-foot shoulders.
Traffic has been maintained on the highway by installing temporary roads in some areas.
Work should be done early next summer.
Route 286-422 interchange, Indiana County — This $19 million project on the section of Route 286 known locally as Oakland Avenue in White Township is designed to ease congestion and improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists approaching the interchange with Route 422.
Gulisek Construction LLC is widening Route 286, improving signals, intersections and drainage and installing a new box culvert in a project that began in November. The work, which also will improve access to Southtowne Plaza, Delaney Auto and Windy Ridge Business Park, should be finished in December 2023.
Freedom Road Bridge, Cranberry —This project will replace the Freedom Road Bridge over the Pennsylvania Turnpike with a wider, longer span to handle increasing traffic and accommodate a future project to widen the turnpike in that area.
Beech Construction Inc. has a $13.1 million contract for the two-span, six-lane steel structure. The project, which began in April 2019, also includes improved drainage, new lights and signal upgrades.
The work should be done by the end of the year.
I-79 bridges over North Boundary Road, Cranberry — This $14.7 million project is replacing bridges on Interstate 79 where it crosses North Boundary Road.
Golden Triangle Construction Company Inc. installed a temporary bridge to allow traffic to continue unrestricted while it replaces the bridges on the interstate. Crews replaced the southbound bridge last year between the Route 528 and Route 228 interchanges and are working on the northbound bridge this season.
Work should be done in May 2021.
District 11
This district covers Allegheny, Beaver and Lawrence counties.
Kenmawr Bridge joining Swissvale and Rankin — It took more than 10 years to begin this $12.5 million project to replace a long-deficient bridge because of a dispute among Norfolk Southern and the boroughs over who should be responsible for it.
In the end, PennDOT is overseeing the project that started in January to lengthen, widen and raise the structure that has had a 6-ton weight limit and closed sidewalks. Allegheny County will own the finished bridge.
Golden Triangle Construction, the general contractor, is building a temporary bridge adjacent to the old structure to maintain traffic.
In addition to a safer roadway, the new bridge will meet a couple of other goals: greater clearance for doublestack freight cars for Norfolk Southern and more room beside the tracks in case Port Authority follows through on a proposal to extend the Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway that ends at the bridge.
The project also includes lane widening and traffic signal upgrades at the intersection of Woodstock and South Braddock avenues, drainage improvements, guide rail updates, new signs and pavement markings.
The project should be completed by late August 2021.
Sewickley Bridge joining Sewickley and Moon — Swank Construction LLC has the $3.7 million contract to upgrade this bridge across the Ohio River.
Work began May 20 on the project that includes milling and latex placement on the bridge deck, expansion dam replacement, approach roadway reconstruction and paving. Crews recently completed a 24-day closure, and single-lane alternating traffic will continue during daylight hours.
PennDOT scheduled this upgrade now so it can be completed by late November, clearing the way for Sewickley Bridge to be used as an alternate route next year when the Neville Island Bridge on I-79 is scheduled for major improvements.
Elizabeth Bridge between West Elizabeth and Elizabeth Borough — Swank also has the $31.3 million contract to upgrade this bridge over the Monongahela River.
This project, which began in December 2017, will eliminate a weight restriction on the bridge that would have resulted in a lengthy detour if the bridge had to be closed. In addition to the bridge, the project also includes upgrading five adjacent ramps.
The work includes painting, cable replacement, grid deck and expansion dam replacement.
Right now, traffic is reduced to one lane in the northbound direction as crews work on rocker bearings.
The bridge, which should be finished in September, will serve as a detour route later this year when PennDOT begins a major project on McKeesport Boulevard.
I-579 Cap, Pittsburgh’s Hill District — PennDOT is overseeing construction of this unique urban park being built above the interstate highway for the Sports and Exhibition Authority.
Joseph B. Fay Co. Inc. began work in July 2019 on this $29.3 million project to rejoin the Hill District to Downtown Pittsburgh with a 3acre green space bounded by Washington Place, Center Avenue, Chatham Square and Webster Avenue. The site will include pedestrian pathways, bicycle routes, rain gardens for stormwater management and design elements from neighborhood artists.
Additional work includes retrofitting existing retaining walls and bridges to accommodate the new structure, roadway reconstruction, drainage improvements, traffic signals, highway lighting and landscaping.
The park, which will be owned by the city, is expected to open in late November 2021.
East Carson Street, Pittsburgh’s South Side — This $16.3 million project is designed to improve pedestrian safety in a 2.5-mile stretch of East Carson Street between the Smithfield Street Bridge and South 33rd Street known for its busy nightlife.
The work includes revamping intersections with highvisibility crosswalks, traffic signals, bump outs to reduce the distance to cross the street, extended lanes for bus stops and islands for pedestrians on wider streets. Golden Triangle Construction also will mill and pave the road surface and install signs, drainage, guide rail and Americans with Disabilities Act ramps, curbs and sidewalks.
The area has the highest number of pedestrian and bicycle accidents in the district and ranks sixth in the state.
The project should be completed by spring 2022.
District 12
This district covers Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland counties.
Route 381, Ohiopyle — Plum Contracting Inc. finished work Friday on this $12.4 million project in Ohiopyle State Park and Ohiopyle Borough, which is surrounded by the park.
The contractor worked mostly between Labor Day and Memorial Day since September 2018 to upgrade the Route 381 bridge over the Youghiogheny River, reconfigure parking lots across from the visitor center, move the bike trail off the roadside and install a pedestrian tunnel under the roadway to provide a safer way for rafters and others to get to the river.
PennDOT earmarked discretionary money for this project in an effort to eliminate close calls between motorists and the 1.5 million visitors to the park.
I-70 from Beau Street to Route 519, Washington County — This $117.8 million project is actually two projects in one.
The western section of the project, from Beau Street to the I-79 South junction, involves expanding the interstate from two lanes to three lanes in each direction. It is the second phase of work to expand lanes between the I-79 North and South junctions.
On the eastern end, from the I-79 South Junction to the Route 519 interchange, the four-lane section of I-70 will be reconstructed.
The area between the junctions has the highest daily traffic count for both interstates.
Lane Construction Corp. began the project December 2016 and expects to finish it in October.
Route 18, Washington — This $10.7 million project involves reconstructing part of Route 18, paving another section and installing five traffic signals from Taylor Avenue to Jefferson Avenue.
Plum Contracting Inc. began work in April to ease congestion and improve pedestrian safety.
Reconstructing Route 18 from Tyler Avenue to East Wylie Avenue includes a right-turn lane for the eastbound entrance ramp to I-70. East Wylie also will be rebuilt from the intersection to 560 feet east of the westbound I-70 interchange and a right turn lane will be added on the westbound off ramp.
Additionally, Route 18 will be resurfaced including base repair from East Wylie to Henderson Avenue.
Crews also will install new traffic signals at the Route 18 interchange with the eastbound ramps to and from I-70 and the Wylie Avenue interchange with the westbound I70 ramps. Traffic signals will be replaced at Route 18 at State Route 844; Route 18 at Wylie Avenue; and Wylie at Allison Road.
The project is scheduled for completion of September 2022.
Route 119. Westmoreland County — This project involves the reconstruction of Route 119 in Hempfield, New Stanton and Youngwood by Golden Triangle Construction Co. under a $23.8 million contract.
The main feature of the project that began last month between Burton Avenue and Stout’s Discount Carpet is the installation of chicanes — serpentine curves in the road to designed to slow traffic. Crews also will build sidewalks on both sides of the road.
The project should be finished in August 2023.
Yukon and Madison interchanges on I-70, Westmoreland County — This $92.8 million project includes the reconstruction and widening of I-70 and reconstruction of the Yukon and Madison interchanges.
Work that began in January also involves new signs at the interchanges, new lighting at Madison and lengthening the acceleration and deceleration lanes.
Trumbull Corp. is scheduled to finish the project in September 2022.