Starting Friday night, PennDOT will close Commercial Street for a 24‑hour period to realign the roadway beneath the Commercial Street Bridge. The closure allows crews to remove existing barriers, grade the surface and get the road ready for paving operations scheduled for the following day.
Details of the closure
“Crews will be out there starting at 8 tonight. We’re going to close Commercial Street underneath the parkway, and that’ll allow crews to remove barriers that separated that and do grading work to get the road prepped for paving operations, which will take place tomorrow,” said John Myler, senior assistant construction manager for PennDOT.
Myler emphasized that this temporary shutdown does not signal the end of the project. “We’ve still got extensive work underneath the bridge to restore the park back to its original features with trees and landscaping, things like that. Also, the trail itself, Nine Mile Trail, is still going to be in its temporary location, but next spring, we’ll wrap all that work up and be able to put the trail back to its original location as well,” he added.
Impact on residents
Local residents have welcomed the reopening of Commercial Street earlier this year. “With Commercial open, it’s just wonderful. When both Commercial and the parkway were closed, it took me an hour to get to or from Squirrel Hill. Right now, with Commercial open, it takes five minutes,” said Tracie Stufft, who lives along the street.
Stufft expressed optimism about the upcoming work. “So, you know, it’ll be nice, I think, for everybody. But I think we’re ready for some no construction vehicles constantly coming up and down and all the road closures or changes,” she said.
Additional lane closure
PennDOT also announced that a single eastbound lane on Parkway East will be closed from Friday night until Saturday at noon for paving work along the shoulder.
Motorists are encouraged to plan alternate routes and stay informed through PennDOT updates. The agency assures the community that the temporary inconvenience will lead to a safer, more attractive bridge corridor and restored park amenities for the neighborhood.
Original reporting: WTAE (Hearst) – local — read the source article.
