PennDOT unveils 2023 construction plans for Pittsburgh region

After more than 3 years of restrictions and weekend closures, work will finally wrap up on the Neville Island Bridge project this year.

However, just south of that, a complete rehab on Interstate 79 will begin this year. A full crossover will be in place through the S-Bends, between Neville Island and the Moon Run Interchange, which will take a significant amount of prep work.

“It started in March, and it will continue all through this month with the prep work like that. So about 2 and a half months of prep work until they really, I think, implement the actual crossover,” said Jason Zang, PennDOT, District 11 Assistant District Executive for Construction.

Drivers have also dealt with lane restrictions and ramp closures on Route 28 and the Highland Park Bridge for the last three years. That improvement project is scheduled to be completed this year as well, with additional work north past Harmar.

If you’ve ever traveled on Route 50 through Bridgeville, you know the intersection with Vanadium Road can get congested at times, and making those turns can be difficult as well. Something else that’s difficult: Getting in and out of the Eat’n Park parking lot. But don’t focus on that because that building is going away. Eat’n Park is going to voluntarily tear down the building, push it back, and construct a new one further back in the parking lot, then they’re going to be able to widen Route 50.

Another major project will be the New Kensington Bridge preservation, which will include a six week complete closure of the bridge in 2024.

Because of supplemental funding from the federal bipartisan infrastructure law, PennDOT has been able to bid out and complete more projects than in the past, despite inflation.

“And when you are programming these projects, we try to estimate that when we’re developing the designs. But, yeah, I mean, the reality is those bins are coming in high and this additional infrastructure money is helping to fill that void as well as we move forward,” said Doug Seeley, Acting District Executive for PennDOT District 11.

A list of other notable projects scheduled to begin this year include:

• Route 2048 William Penn Highway rehabilitation and preservation project in Allegheny County
• Route 4003 McKnight Road betterment project in Allegheny County
• Route 18 Monaca-Rochester Bridge preservation project in Beaver County
• I-79 betterment project in Lawrence County

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