For those accustomed to the nighttime travel across the Monongahela, the Smithfield Street Bridge will see a return of overnight closures starting Tuesday, PennDOT District 11 has confirmed. Connecting the vital veins of Route 3027 over the river, the essential Pittsburgh conduit will be off-limits for vehicles from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. for three consecutive nights, with hopes pinned on favorable weather. During this period, necessary concrete and overhead steel repairs will be conducted, forcing drivers to seek alternate routes.
Travelers heading south of the bridge are advised to follow a posted detour that starts at East Carson Street, leads to South Tenth Street, where they will traverse the bridge, and then onto Second Avenue, making their way via B Street to First Avenue, thereafter turning onto Grant Street and finally circling back to Fort Pitt Boulevard, though emergency vehicles and buses have been granted an exception to continue their usage of the bridge, ensuring not all is disrupted by these essential repairs.
Given that the route north of the bridge is simply the reverse, drivers can expect a mirrored inconvenience. It's not just those behind the wheel affected; the sidewalk fortunately remains a steadfast thoroughfare for pedestrians. As a part of a larger $8.49 million preservation project detailed on PennDOT's website, this project includes an array of renovations from steel repairs to pedestrian signal upgrades at the Fort Pitt Boulevard intersection, additionally minor work is also slated for the bridge carrying Smithfield Street over Station Square Drive.
Concrete repair isn't the only item on the agenda, the project further involves replacing sections of sidewalk and the epoxy deck surface, ensuring the structural integrity and safety for those who tread its path. The project planning to maintain single-lane traffic during its expected completion in the summer of 2024, with some weekend closures where bus traffic will remain and pedestrian access will always be a priority. As the city braces for the short-term inconvenience, the long-term prospects of a safer bridge are on the horizon.
