PennDOT Preparing for Summer Roadwork

Here come those dreaded orange barrels again.

With construction season now upon us, the  and state police are warning motorists to slow down and pay attention when driving through work zones.

While speaking this morning near a construction zone along Route 28 in Pittsburgh, PennDOT District 11 Executive Director Dan Cessna said drivers must follow posted speed limits, turn on headlights and avoid distractions.

District 11, which oversees work in Allegheny, Beaver and Lawrence counties, expects to spend $216 million this year on road and bridge improvements in Allegheny County. Cessna urged motors to be flexible as traffic patterns change and commutes become longer.

“I can’t overstate patience,” Cessna said during a press conference to kickoff PennDOT's Work Zone Safety Awareness Week.

According to state statistics, 10 people died in 894 work zone accidents on District 11 roadways in the past three years. Statewide, 68 people have died in nearly 5,000 work zone crashes during that period.

State police Lt. Tom Dubovi said that traffic backups can sometimes lead to multiple accidents when drivers aren’t paying attention to the road

“Be aware, be safe and slow down,” Dubovi said.

He reminded drivers to turn on their headlights in work zones and to change lanes when emergency vehicles and construction trucks are parked along the side of the road. He added that traffic fines in work zones are doubled.

“It can be scary at times (for construction workers) because there’s nowhere to run,” Dubovi said.

Besides major roadwork on Route 28, another problem spot appears to be construction on Interstate 79 near Wexford. Cessna said that area is improving as PennDOT tweaks some of the traffic patterns.

“It’s getting better, but motorists are going to continue to experience delays,” Cessna said.

Motorists in Pine and Richland townships will see these projects close to home:

Interstate 79 -- Warrendale-Bayne Mingo Road Bridges: Started in late March, this $10 million project includes deck replacements, latex overlays, expansion dam replacements, substructure repairs, bituminous paving, and other improvements on the bridges over Mingo Road (Route 4041) and Warrendale-Bayne Road (Route 4052) and the ramp from northbound I-79 to Cranberry (Exit 76), which passes over southbound I-79. Lane closures will occur. Work will be completed this fall.

Route 8 -- Grandview Drive to Butler County: A $2.7 million project will mill and resurface Route 8 from Grandview Drive in Richland Township to Butler County. Lane closures will be necessary. Work will begin this spring and continue through fall.

Route 8 -- Hardies Road Intersection: Work will begin this fall to widen and add turning lanes on Route 8 from the PA Turnpike Interchange to Hardies Road. The project, estimated at $2.3 million, will require lane closures. Work will conclude in fall 2012.       

Route 8 -- Butler Plank/Wildwood: Started in 2010, this $3.7 million project includes milling and resurfacing and other improvements on about 3.5 miles of Route 8 from Butler Plank Road to Wildwood Road in Shaler and Hampton townships. Work will be completed this summer. Lane closures will occur.

Route 19 -- Wexford Flats: Work started in March for this $18.1 million project to widen and add a center turn lane on Route 19 from Longvue Road (near top of Pine Creek Hill) to just north of North Chapel/Manor Road in Pine and Marshall Townships. Long-term lane closures and traffic shifts will occur. Overall work will conclude in late 2012.

McKnight Road Route 4003: Work will begin this summer on an $8.8 million project to reconstruct, mill and resurface McKnight Road from Nelson Run to Babcock Boulevard in Ross and McCandless Townships. Lane closures, crossovers and ramp detours will occur. The project concludes in late fall.

Babcock Boulevard/Rochester Road (Route 4011): Mill and resurface, base repair, and drainage improvements from McKnight Road to Route 19 in West View and Ross.

Sample Road (Route 4026): Mill and resurface, base repair, and drainage improvements from Peebles Road to Mount Royal Boulevard in McCandless and Hampton.

Hartman Road (Route 4054): Mill and resurface, base repair, and drainage improvements from Route 19 to Franklin Road in Marshall and Pine.

Peebles Road (Route 4064): Mill and resurface, base repair, and drainage improvements from McKnight Road to Sample Road in McCandless.

Route 28 East Ohio Street Improvements – Several contracts will be under way simultaneously this season to create dramatic improvements on Route 28 between the 40th Street Bridge and the Heinz Plant    

• Railroad relocation/East Ohio Street Prep: The $24.8 million ARRA-funded project will continue through 2011. The project includes constructing new ramps at the 31st Street Bridge. The project will be completed in May 2012. 

• 40th Street Bridge Interchange: The first section of the East Ohio Street widening project on Route 28 started in 2010 and will continue through 2012.  The $21.9 million project is creating two thru-lanes on southbound Route 28 to allow traffic to free flow through the intersection with the 40th Street Bridge. Traffic impacts through 2011 include northbound single-lane traffic due to a southbound express lane crossover. These restrictions will change in mid-summer.
• East Ohio Street: This spring, District 11 anticipates opening construction bids for the fourth phase of the Route 28 East Ohio Street improvement project at the 31st Street Bridge. This highly anticipated, much-needed project will reconstruct Route 28 and create a new grade-separated interchange at the 31st Street Bridge. The estimated cost is $20 million to $35 million. Long-term lanes closure and detours will occur through 2014.

For a full list of PennDOT District 11's summer roadwork projects, click here, then go to "Current Statewide Releases" in the left bar on the page and then click on the release titled "Transportation, Safety Officials Mark 'Work Zone Awareness Week.