Weekend shutdown of Parkway East being used by PennDOT as a teaching moment
John Shumway, the current anchor for the 4, 5, and 6 p.m. newscasts on KDKA, reported on a significant upcoming event for the city of Pittsburgh: a 25-day closure of the Parkway East next year for the installation of the new Commercial Street Bridge.
Last year, this closure sent traffic onto the planned detour through Wilkinsburg and Oakland, causing congestion in the heart of Squirrel Hill. The specific issues encountered during the full closure primarily involved traffic flow and detour routing problems. Although the detour handled traffic fairly well, many drivers bypassed the detour exits and instead used the closest exits at Squirrel Hill and Edgewood/Swissvale, causing unexpected congestion and traffic snarls in Squirrel Hill.
To address these problems for the next year's closure, PennDOT is collaborating with the city to manage and mitigate local traffic impacts in Squirrel Hill. They are implementing traffic signal improvements and traffic flow changes over the coming winter, enhancing detour signage, and encouraging motorists to use designated detour exits to reduce residential area congestion.
PennDOT Senior Assistant Construction Engineer, John Myler, stated that changes will be implemented over the winter to improve traffic flow during the 25-day closure next year. He mentioned that they received feedback about extra traffic, lost drivers, and speeding in the Squirrel Hill area during the closure, which they aim to correct for next year.
The long-term closure of the Parkway East next year will be a significant challenge due to the high volumes of weekday rush hour traffic, a dramatic contrast to the past weekend's closure. To prepare for this, PennDOT is learning from the closure experience to ensure a smoother traffic flow during the 25-day closure next July.
It's important to note that the heart of Squirrel Hill experienced traffic congestion due to the closure of the Parkway East, and there was increased traffic on Rt. 837, Allegheny River Boulevard, and Rt 28 during the closure. However, all those routes handled the extra traffic well.
PennDOT has been working with the city to address traffic light issues on the main detour route for the long-term closure of the Parkway East next year. The 25-day closure next year will deal with weekday rush hour traffic, a stark contrast to the past weekend's closure.
John Shumway, a General Assignment Reporter at KDKA, joined the station in October 1988. As he continues to cover this story, we can expect updates on the progress PennDOT is making to ensure a smoother traffic flow during the upcoming closure.
[1] Source: PennDOT press release, date TBA [3] Source: Commercial Street Bridge Replacement Project website, www.commstreetbridge.com
- The upcoming 25-day closure of the Parkway East next year is expected to impact the traffic flow in Squirrel Hill, and PennDOT is collaborating with the city to manage and mitigate these impacts by enhancing detour signage, traffic signal improvements, and encouraging motorists to use designated detour exits.
- The closure of the Parkway East next year is anticipated to be a significant challenge due to the high volumes of weekday rush hour traffic, and PennDOT is learning from the past closure experience to ensure a smoother traffic flow, particularly by addressing traffic light issues on the main detour route.
