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

Contact:  

 May 31, 2000

TRAFFIC ADVISORY:
STATE ROUTE 981 TO CLOSE THURSDAY AT TURNPIKE OVERPASS IN MOUNT PLEASANT TOWNSHIP, WESTMORELAND COUNTY

Starting Thursday, June 1 and effective until late August, Pa. Route 981 will be closed at its Pennsylvania Turnpike overpass for the first phase of project involving removal and replacement of the bridge.

The construction site is in Mount Pleasant Township, Westmoreland County. The bridge carrying the Interstate 76/I-70 mainline over Route 981 is at Milepost 80.77. Removal and replacement of the span is part of a total reconstruction project between Mileposts 76 and 85 contracted to Angelo Iafrate Construction Corporation of Warren, MI in the amount of $49.5 million.

A detour will be posted. From the closure point south of the overpass, it involves Pa. Route 31 East to Pa. Route 982 North to SR 2021. Motorists can take SR 2021 in a westerly direction back to Pa. Route 981 at a point north of the overpass.

During the summer, the southern third of the overpass will be removed and replaced with a single-span steel girder structure. Removal and replacement of the entire bridge is likely to last into the 2002 construction season.

Route 981 is scheduled to reopen when Mount Pleasant School District begins classes for the 2000-2001 term.

###

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