It’s a major route through the heart of Castle Shannon, but for the next two months, Castle Shannon Boulevard is going to look a lot different for drivers.
On Wednesday, PennDOT was slated to begin work on the bridge crossing Saw Mill Run Creek at Castle Shannon Boulevard and Poplar Avenue, turning Castle Shannon Boulevard into a one-way street for two months.
“It’s just going to be chaotic,” said Brittany Joscak, who is trying to plan ahead for her daughter’s afterschool programs. “It’s going to be closed off, so now it’s going to take even longer to take her from here to South Park.”
All traffic on Route 88 will be diverted, meaning that cars won’t be able to turn onto Castle Shannon Boulevard, so drivers should plan to use detours.
“The traffic is sure to be a little bit challenging,” said Chief Ken Truver of the Castle Shannon Police Department. “The detours keep people on the main state routes. We expect we’ll have some traffic filter into the neighborhood, so we ask that everybody have patience.”
Eastbound traffic will be diverted to the westbound lanes at Castle Shannon Boulevard and Poplar Avenue, and all traffic on Castle Shannon Boulevard will be one way eastbound between Poplar Avenue and Library Road (Route 88). Traffic from Library Road southbound intending to turn on right to Castle Shannon Boulevard will be detoured to Connor Road, Washington Road, Mt. Lebanon Boulevard, and to Castle Shannon Boulevard. Traffic from Library Road northbound intending to turn left onto Castle Shannon Boulevard will be detoured to Route 51 to West Liberty Avenue to Mt Lebanon Boulevard to Castle Shannon Boulevard.
Chief Truver is asking for the public to be patient and vigilant, especially as students head back to the classroom.
“The timing is unfortunate because school starts tomorrow. This is a good opportunity to remind people to watch for school buses, school zones, crossing guards, etc,” Truver said.
“I’ll just have to plan accordingly and add a few minutes to my travel time in the morning. That’s all you can really do,” Joscak said.
Police will be out in the area for at least a week as they determine impact.
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