Update: Weekend Squirrel Hill Tunnel Closure Canceled Due to Inclement Weather
Drivers heading outbound on the Parkway East (I-376 eastbound) in Pittsburgh this weekend should prepare for delays. That's according to Pennsylvania Department of Transportation spokesman Jim Struzzi, who said the second year of a four-year major rehabilitation of the Squirrel Hill Tunnel begins this weekend.
From 11 p.m. Friday through 6 a.m. Monday drivers will diverted to one lane and then detoured off the Parkway at the Squirrel Hill exit. They will be rerouted onto the roadway via South Braddock Avenue during the day, and Forest Hills at night.
Struzzi said they will be performing the same work they did last year on the inbound side.
"Work includes removing the drop ceiling in both directions of the tunnel to improve over-height clearance," he said. "That's a big deal because we have to stop on average 40 over-height trucks a month, and that means that all traffic on the Parkway East in both directions has to stop and that causes considerable congestion."
The $49.5 million rehabilitation project also includes:
- Updating electrical systems
- Lighting
- Air control and ventilation systems
- Structural repairs inside the tunnel
- Repaving
- Rehabilitating the bridge that takes the Parkway East over Commercial Street between the Edgewood/ Swissvale interchange and the entrance to the tunnel
This weekend marks the beginning of this seasons work, next month's weekends with outbound closures include April 5-8, 19-22 and 26-29.
More information on the construction can be found at Penndot's District 11 website.
