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| COMMISSION NEWS RELEASE | |||||
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| Two Separate Pa. Turnpike Construction Detours Set to Begin Saturday Evening Bridge work necessitates closures from Pittsburgh to Irwin and Somerset to Bedford. |
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| Two separate sections of the Turnpike in Western Pennsylvania are scheduled to be shut down for four to five hours this weekend to accommodate construction on a pair of overhead-bridge replacement projects. Closures affecting both eastbound and westbound traffic are set begin late Saturday evening and be lifted by early Sunday morning. The shutdowns will impact the stretches from Pittsburgh to Irwin and from Somerset to Bedford. Pittsburgh to Irwin The Pennsylvania Turnpike will be closed between the Pittsburgh Exit (#57) and the Irwin Exit (#67) starting at 11:59 p.m. Sept. 29 until 5 a.m. Sept. 30. The detour for westbound traffic exiting at Irwin (#67) is as follows: U.S. Route 30 east (4.6 miles) to Pa. Turnpike 66 north (7 miles) to U.S. Route 22 west (10.5 miles). Motorists can reenter the Turnpike at the Pittsburgh Interchange (#57) and follow signs to Ohio and west. The detour for traffic exiting eastbound at Pittsburgh (#57) is as follows: U.S. Route 22 east (10.5 miles) to Turnpike 66 south (7 miles) to U.S. Route 30 west (4.6 miles). Motorists can reenter the Turnpike at the Irwin Interchange and follow signs for Harrisburg and east. Local traffic using State Route 130 in Penn Township, Westmoreland County near the bridge on Sept. 28 and Oct. 1 will encounter short-term stoppages controlled by flagmen between Nike Site Road and Pleasant Valley Road. The mainline closure and State Route 130 lane restriction are needed for the placement of steel girders on a new overhead bridge which carries State Route 130 over the Turnpike. Somerset to Bedford The Pennsylvania Turnpike will be closed between the Somerset Exit (#110) and the Bedford Exit (#146) starting at 11:30 p.m. Sept. 29 through 4 a.m. Sept. 30. The recommended detours for exiting motorists are as follows: Exiting at Somerset (#110), follow signing to Pa. Route 281 north (2.5 miles) to U.S. Route 219 north (9 miles) to U.S. Route 30 east (31.8 miles) to U.S. Route 220 north (2.3 miles). This will bring motorists to the Bedford Interchange (#146) where they will reenter the Turnpike eastbound. Exiting at Bedford (#146), follow signing to U.S. Route 220 south (2.5 miles) to U.S. Route 30 west (31.8 miles) to U.S. Route 219 south (9 miles) to Pa. Route 281 south (2.3 miles) to the Pa. Turnpike Somerset Interchange (#110) where motorists will reenter the westbound. The closure is needed to set bridge beams for an overhead bridge at milepost 132, which carries Cider Road over the mainline in Juniata Township, Bedford County. Work on both bridge-replacement projects is weather dependent and could be rescheduled or delayed in adverse conditions. Alternate-route cards will be available to exiting travelers during the closures. Expect higher traffic volumes on detour roads during the closure. Message boards will be placed to inform customers of both closures, and Highway Advisory Radio (HAR) broadcasts at station 1640 AM also are being used to inform travelers. Travelers can get Turnpike traffic alerts by calling 866-976-TRIP (8747) or visiting the live Travel Conditions Map online at www.paturnpike.com/webmap. The Turnpike’s smartphone app, TRIP Talk, streams audio advisories to iPhone and Droid users so they can keep their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. To download the free app, visit www.paturnpike.com/triptalk. |
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