Several changes in local roadwork will begin Thursday. Here’s the breakdown:
- Birmingham Bridge – The inbound lanes will be closed and traffic will be crossed over to the outbound lanes at 6 a.m. Thursday so crews can begin replacing expansion dams on the bridge that crosses the Monongahela River between Pittsburgh’s South Side and Oakland neighborhoods. With the change, the outbound side will have two lanes of traffic heading to South Side and one lane to Oakland, plus two bicycle lanes, through late July. In addition, the inbound ramp to Oakland will be closed and a detour will be posted. Bicyclists traveling inbound won’t be able to go directly onto Fifth Avenue and should follow detour signs. All traffic will be shifted to the inbound lanes in the same pattern in late July. All work should be done by late September.
- Business Route 22 – Beginning at 7 a.m. Thursday, the bridge over Lower Rodi Road in Churchill and Wilkins will have single-lane restrictions on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. through mid-May. One lane of traffic will remain open in each direction while crews test bridge deck material.
- Parkway East – There will be an outbound shoulder restriction between the Squirrel Hill Tunnel and the Edgewood/Swissvale exit from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday. During that time, crews will do preparatory work for replacing the sign that warns trucks are too high to go through the tunnel. The work is part of the $95 million project to replace the Commercial Street Bridge over Frick Park in that area.
Ed covers transportation at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at eblazina@unionprogress.com.