Kathy Liebler
                        Director of Public Information


C   O   M   M   I   S   S   I   O   N                N   E   W   S             R   E   L   E   A   S   E   

Contact:  Joe Agnello (724) 755-5262, (724) 755-5142 fax

April 5, 1999


TRAFFIC ADVISORY:
OVERHEAD BRIDGE REMOVAL

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is alerting motorists that eastbound and westbound traffic on the Interstate 76/I-70 mainline will be stopped periodically Tuesday, April 6 through Thursday, April 8 for removal of an overhead bridge at milepost 79 in Mount Pleasant Township, Westmoreland County.

Removal of the overhead bridge also will require two one-hour stoppages of all Turnpike traffic on each of two days this coming weekend – Saturday, April 10 and Sunday, April 11.

The stoppages April 6 through 8 will occur on an intermittent basis between 9 AM and 3:30 PM and will last no longer than 15 minutes. Crews will be removing steel floor beams and stringers from the bridge that has carried Pa. Route 819 over the Turnpike mainline.

The longer stoppages on Saturday, April 10 and Sunday, April 11 will occur between 6 AM and 10 AM so that crews can remove the main steel girders from the thru-girder span, which is being replaced. Pa. Route 819 was closed at the construction site on March 8, 1999, and will remain closed through the end of the calendar year.

State police based in New Stanton and Somerset will handle the traffic stoppages this coming weekend, which are expected to occur from 6 to 7 AM and from 8 to 9 AM both days. Eastbound traffic will be stopped near the New Stanton interchange (#8, MP 75.5) west of the job site and westbound traffic will be stopped near the Donegal interchange (#9, MP 90.7) east of the job site so that motorists can exit at those locations.

There will be no effect on vehicles exiting the New Stanton service plaza at milepost 77.6 because it serves westbound traffic only and the site of the overhead bridge is east of the facility.

Motorists are urged to use caution when traversing the construction zone.

 

 P.O. Box 67676, Harrisburg, PA 17106-7676         Phone: (717) 939-9551         Fax: (717) 986-9649