Harvison Road bridge removal scheduled for next week in Westmoreland County

PENN TOWNSHIP, Pa. — The Harvison Road bridge over the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Westmoreland County will be removed next week.

Officials said the bridge, which carries traffic from Harvison Road over the interstate in Penn Township, will be removed as a precursor to the total reconstruction and widening of the Turnpike in the area.

Beginning Monday, Aug. 26, the detour using PA Route 130 (Harrison City Road) and Pleasant Valley Road will be put into place permanently.

The PA Turnpike previously announced in 2021 that the bridge would be removed as part of the Mileposts 57-67 Total Reconstruction and Widening project in Allegheny and Westmoreland Counties. The project includes expanding the highway from four to six lanes in the 10-mile corridor.

Due to engineering complications and associated costs, replacing the bridge was not feasible.

The Turnpike will demolish the bridge which connected Harvison Road to Pleasant Valley Road and build a cul-de-sac in its place.

Demolition work on the bridge will continue into October. The cul-da-sac will be built in the fall with the entire project slated for completion in June. The full MP 57-67 project is currently in the design phase and will be split into two sections. For the east section (MP 61 to MP 67), construction is anticipated to begin in 2032. Construction of the west section (MP 57 to MP 61) will be determined by the first section’s schedule and available funding.

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