Motorists in Pittsburgh should prepare for traffic complications as part of Saw Mill Run Boulevard (Route 51) is now closed until August 26 for bridge demolition work. According to WPXI, the closure affects the stretch between Crane Avenue and Woodruff Street, which started on the preceding Thursday night. Commuters and trucks have been provided with alternative routes to navigate around the demolition site.
Detailing the detour paths, Doug Thompson, PennDOT's assistant district executive of construction in District 11, explained that "There will be equipment lifted up onto the bridge, and we'll be scooping off all the overburden or the fill on the bridge, and we will cut a hole in the deck, and they'll just drop down below, and they'll be scooping it up and trucking the material out." Thompson said, as per WTAE.
In terms of navigation, a significant detour for northbound Route 51 requires drivers to use 579 toward Downtown/South Side, cross the Liberty Bridge, and loop through the Boulevard of the Allies to return to Route 51. Southbound traffic will redirect towards Carnegie/Pittsburgh International Airport, then merge onto eastbound I-376 to circle back via the Liberty Tunnel. PennDOT has informed that local businesses will remain accessible, with signage in place to aid customers in reaching their destinations amidst the closures.
