Motorists wanting to access eastbound I-376, the Parkway East, using Grant St. in downtown Pittsburgh will have to find an alternative for two weeks. There will also be some restrictions for the ramp from Grant St. to westbound I-376.
“Well the main ramp, the ramp that we are doing the work on to eastbound I-376, will be closed around the clock, and that will occur starting today through October 7," said PennDOT spokesman Jim Struzzi. "The other ramp to westbound I-376 is only going to be closed at night from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. every night, including weekends."
Struzzi said the ramp work is part of an overall $8.7 million dollar project.
“Both those ramps are closed so we can conduct some expansion dam replacements and rocker bearing re-settings on the ramps, essentially from Grant St to eastbound I-376," Struzzi said. "The reason for the westbound ramp to I-376 needs to be closed is because the eastbound ramp crosses over that so we have to close that for access and safety reasons.”
According to Struzzi, there is an official detour.
“Well the detours are fairly simple: To access eastbound I-376 from Grant St, you’re going to take the Boulevard of the Allies and that will take you directly to I-376, or you can access it from Wood St. or Stanwix St.; and then to access westbound I-376 you would take Fort Pitt Boulevard to Stanwix St. and then take the Stanwix St. on ramp to westbound I-376.”
The entire project includes concrete pavement patching, milling and resurfacing, minor bridge repairs on various structures, drainage, guide rail, signing and pavement markings, and other improvements on various ramps on the Fort Pitt and Fort Duquesne bridges and I-376, the Parkway East/Central, from just south of the Fort Duquesne Bridge to 1,800 feet east of the I-376 Grant Street Interchange (Exit 71A). The project will also improve a bridge on Fort Duquesne Boulevard. Overall work will conclude later this fall.
