There are lots of places to stay away from because of roadwork this weekend. Here’s where to steer clear:
Interstate 279 1 – Crews will begin work Friday for another traffic shift on Sunday on southbound I-279 involving the HOV lanes, which are carrying regular traffic so that emergency work can be done on bridge piers for Interstate 579. Southbound I-279 will be reduced to one lane from 9 p.m. Friday to 10 a.m. Saturday between the Swindell Bridge and East Ohio Street. Then it will reopen with two lanes from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, when it will be reduced to one lane until the crossover begins at 10 a.m. Sunday. When the crossover is implemented, southbound traffic on I-279 will cross over to the HOV lanes about 500 feet south of the Swindell Bridge. The crossed-over traffic will continue on the HOV lanes to the Veterans Bridge on I-579, where it will cross back to the southbound lanes. Detours will be posted for motorists who want to avoid the crossover. Other restrictions include closure of the southbound Route 28 ramp to southbound I-579 and the southbound I-279 ramp to southbound I-579. All access to HOV entrances and exits from southbound I-279, the Perrysville Park and Ride, McKnight Road, Anderson Street, Mazeroski Way, and Bedford Avenue will remain closed.
I-279 2 – Slide repair work on the Perrysville Avenue ramp in Ross to southbound I-279 has caused a traffic shift and shoulder closure that will take place from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays through mid-August.
New England Road – The West Mifflin road will be closed for two months beginning Monday between Camp Hollow Road and Route 837. During the closure, steel girders will be installed for the new Mon-Fayette Expressway bridge over New England Road. Local traffic will be able to enter the closed area, but vehicles will not be able to cross the construction zone. The road is expected to reopen by the end of September.
Interstate 79 – The highway will be reduced to one lane of traffic on the shoulders in Robinson and Kennedy from 7 p.m. Friday through 6 a.m. Monday for concrete patching. The work will take place between the Parkway West Airport/Pittsburgh and the Route 60 Moon Run-Crafton interchanges. The work is part of a $15 million improvement project from the Parkway West interchange to a half mile north of the Route 60 interchange.
Parkway West – Inbound traffic will be reduced to a single lane from 9 p.m. Friday through 5 a.m. Monday between Ridge Road and Interstate 79 while crews make deck repairs on the bridge over Boyce Road. The work is part of a $12.6 million improvement project in that section of the Parkway West.
Parkway East – The Parkway East will be reduced to one lane for bridge inspections in separate areas from 6 a.m. to noon Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, the restriction will be on the outbound side at the Edgewood-Swissvale interchange. On Sunday, crews will work on the inbound side between the Churchill and Greensburg Pike exits.
Ed covers transportation at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at eblazina@unionprogress.com.