Things likely will be moving slowly on the Parkway East this weekend because the highway will be reduced from three lanes in each direction to one lane each way between Churchill and Monroeville.
The lane restrictions will begin at 9 p.m. Friday from the Business Route 22 interchange in Churchill to the bridge over Old William Penn Highway in Monroeville. Work by Swank Construction Co. LLC to reconstruct concrete approaches to the bridge is expected to last until 5 a.m. Monday.
The $70.1 million project by the state Department of Transportation involves a complete upgrade of 4.5 miles of the highway between the Churchill exit and the Monroeville exit at Route 48. The project was supposed to start last year but was delayed after the department found more extensive deterioration on the bridge over Old William Penn and had to design plans to replace that portion of the superstructure.
Overall, the project will involve pavement work, upgrading nine bridges and replacing the concrete median barrier and expansion dams, among other work. It is expected to last until fall 2026 and will include a series of lane restrictions and a long-term crossover in 2025 for work on the bridge over Old William Penn.
Ed covers transportation at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at eblazina@unionprogress.com.