In a recent unveiling by PennDOT, plans for a significant overhaul of the Parkway East Squirrel Hill interchange have been set into motion, with 'Alternative F' selected as the design to take forward, which includes major ramp reconfigurations and pedestrian upgrades. The renovation is propelled by the necessity to elevate the safety and streamline the congestion for the average daily deluge of 100,000 vehicles that navigate through this busy juncture.
The design plan is to relocate the I-376 eastbound on-ramp, creating more space for vehicles to merge before reaching the Squirrel Hill Tunnel, and this move is anticipated to alleviate the rush of traffic on Beechwood Boulevard, according to WPXI. An elongated eastbound off-ramp is to spread its reach just west of the Greenfield Bridge, swooping under the new on-ramp, and joined to Beechwood Boulevard by a regulated traffic light meant to arrest the current mingling of interchange ramps.
Moreover, confirmed by WTAE, accessibility to the westbound on-ramp of I-376 will be restricted exclusively to Forward Avenue, where a new signalized intersection is set to emerge, while the divergence point for the westbound off-ramp is slated to move further west, beyond the tunnel entrance, where a new bridge over the Parkway will manifest, designed to cater to trucks and large vehicles with a safer exit route.
