The Commercial Street Bridge on the Parkway East Reopens Monday Night
Originally set to wrap up Aug. 3, the massive project has been completed earlier than expected.
RENDERING COURTESY OF PENNDOT
Say good riddance to the long commutes and nightmare traffic caused by the Commercial Street Bridge Project, because the Parkway East is set to reopen Monday evening with a brand new bridge in place.
When a PennDOT spokesperson last spoke with Pittsburgh Magazine, she hinted the Parkway East may open earlier than its expected completion date.
“The project team has been working 24/7 and are currently tracking ahead of schedule at this time,” Nicole Haney, press officer for PennDOT, said on July 22. “Though a date has not been determined, we anticipate I-376 reopening ahead of the previously targeted date of Aug. 3.”
On Sunday, PennDOT and the governor’s office confirmed the heavily trafficked bridge would open ahead of schedule on July 27. But, how were they able to get such a massive project done so quickly?
The project utilized an “accelerated bridge construction technique” to laterally slide the new 22-million-pound bridge 102 feet onto the existing alignment of I-376. PennDOT secretary Mike Carroll also noted construction crews were working around the clock; contractors also had financial incentive to complete the project ahead of time.
“We will have completed this project and opened the Parkway in less than three weeks,” Carroll says. “Again: A stunning achievement.”
For more information, including a livestream of the project being completed, visit here.
