Reconfiguration of the Interstate 70 interchange with Route 51 is scheduled to reach a new milestone in the days ahead as work advances on construction of the second of a pair of bridges that will carry Route 51 over the interstate.
Dominec Caruso, assistant construction engineer for PennDOT District 12, said crews are slated to set the beams for the bridge atop awaiting abutments Wednesday evening in Rostraver. The work is expected to take place between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. the following day.
There will be single-lane restrictions in both directions on I-70, between the Arnold City and Smithton exits, and on Route 51 southbound, with flaggers controlling the northbound lane between Concord Lane and Route 981/Finley Road.
The lane restrictions on the section of I-70 will resume between 8 p.m. Thursday and 6 a.m. Friday, when crews are slated to place overhang jacks on the bridge beams, and between 8 p.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Saturday, when barriers will be moved to reposition traffic lanes on the interstate for the next phase of construction.
Caruso said two-way traffic currently is using the newly constructed easternmost bridge of the twin Route 51 spans.
Once the project is completed, two southbound lanes of traffic will use that bridge and two northbound lanes will use the westernmost bridge. That’s because opposing lanes of Route 51 traffic will switch positions in the interchange’s revamped Diverging Diamond format.
Motorists on Route 51 will switch to the opposite side of the road and back again through intersections with traffic lights. That will allow drivers to turn left onto Interstate 70 without passing in front of oncoming traffic.
The new side-by-side spans are replacing a previous single bridge over the interstate.
The interchange project involves widening and other improvements for sections of both Route 51 and I-70.
The median will be widened on the interstate.
“It’s going from a 2-foot median to a 10-foot median,” Caruso said, “and there will be full 12-foot shoulders and full acceleration and deceleration lanes.”
Route 51 is getting some intersection and traffic signal improvements, including relocation of Finley Road to intersect with Route 51 across from Route 981.
While the project is slated to continue into next year, the I-70 widening is expected to wrap up this year, along with substantial work at the interchange.
“It’s a very aggressive schedule,” Caruso said.
Golden Triangle is the prime contractor for the $120.7 million project.