Heads up, Allegheny County drivers: your commute through Route 28 is set to get a high-tech safety upgrade, but with it comes some upcoming construction hassle. PennDOT has officially green-lighted a wrong-way detection project to slash the risk of head-on collisions. Starting Monday, May 5, don't be surprised to find shoulder restrictions off and on from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays, particularly around the Millvale (Exit 3B) interchange, as the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation reported.
Long overdue, these improvements aim to significantly curb the frequency of wrong-way drivers along a notorious stretch of Route 28 that threads from the Anderson Street ramp in Pittsburgh to the Harmar/I-76/Route 910 interchange in Harmar Township. The shoulder work, set to last throughout the week until Friday, May 9, is just a taste of what's to come. Crews are scheduled to install many equipment designed to save lives: sensors, detectors, and cameras that will automatically alert drivers on the road and PennDOT's Western Regional Traffic Management Center at the hint of a wrong-way driver.
According to PennDOT, the $4.8 million project will deck out all interchange exit ramps along the specified portion of Route 28. Besides the sensor technology, the upgrades include controller boxes, fiber optics, electrical components, and new signage. With most of the construction involving lane and shoulder restrictions, there will also be future overnight closures and detours specifically targeting exits: northbound 31st Street Bridge/Strip District (Exit 2), southbound 40th Street Bridge/Lawrenceville (Exit 3A), and northbound Route 8 South towards RD Fleming Bridge/Sharpsburg (Exit 5A).
For real-time construction and traffic updates, PennDOT encourages drivers to join an email distribution list by sending their addresses to [email protected] with “Subscribe – Route 28” in the subject line. For the tech-savvy, the free 511PA mobile app provides up-to-the-minute traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, and access to live traffic cameras. Should you prefer a more traditional approach, just dial 5-1-1, or follow regional traffic alerts online. And for a deeper dive into PennDOT District 11’s happenings, visit their official website.
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