Beginning Saturday, the McKeesport-Duquesne Bridge will close to traffic for several weeks.
PennDOT says the bridge will close to all vehicular traffic starting Saturday around 10 a.m. through the afternoon of April 7. During the closure, Mosites Construction will remove existing barriers, place concrete shoulders and build a containment structure ahead of a comprehensive preservation project.
The bridge’s sidewalks will remain open during this time.
Drivers in the area should prepare for detours.
Northbound traffic will be routed via Route 148 and U.S. 30/Lincoln Highway to the Rankin Bridge and Route 837 in Duquesne. Southbound drivers will also be directed along 837 and the Rankin Bridge, then proceed via Braddock Avenue to E. Pittsburgh McKeesport Boulevard.
The McKeesport-Duquesne Bridge carries Route 2114 over several rail lines, portions of Route 8057 and its Northbound Bypass, the Great Allegheny Passage Trail and the Monongahela River.
The bridge opened to traffic in 1928.
PennDOT is planning an extensive list of repairs and upgrades to the structure. In addition to sandblasting and a fresh coat of paint, the bridge will get repairs to its sidewalks and substructure, utility replacements, LED lighting, installation of ADA-mandated curb ramps and an epoxy coating to protect its concrete elements. Wayfinding signs for the GAP Trail will also be installed.
The project is being undertaken with an eye toward the bridge’s eligibility for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.
In spite of “severe deterioration of the steel structure,” John Myler, PennDOT Senior Assistant Construction Manager, said the bridge’s deck itself, which was laid in the 1980s, was in relatively good shape and would receive a modified latex overlay.
PennDOT says it will maintain “a long-term traffic shift with a single lane of traffic in each direction” after the bridge reopens to vehicles in April.