Closures of westbound I-70 in Rostraver to begin Wednesday for Route 51 bridge repair
Closure of a westbound section of Interstate 70 in Rostraver, for an emergency bridge repair, is slated from 9 p.m. Wednesday through 4 a.m. Thursday.
The closure will take effect between Exit 46A and Exit 46B. It was moved back 24 hours from a schedule previously announced by PennDOT.
A second planned closure of the same segment of I-70 was to have occurred over three days this weekend but has been scaled back to a single night — tentatively slated from 9 p.m. Friday through 8 a.m. Saturday.
PennDOT officials noted the planned Friday closure might be postponed, depending on the weather.
Traffic will be detoured as crews work to repair a damaged beam on the bridge that carries Route 51 over the interstate.
Westbound drivers can exit I-70 onto Route 51 northbound and travel to the Route 201 (Rostraver Road) exit. After a right turn, drivers should take a left side ramp onto Route 51 southbound and reenter the interstate at the interchange to continue west.
Emergency repairs got underway in early February after an over-height vehicle struck the bridge in December. In addition to repairing the beam, crews from Amelie Construction are installing a temporary support beam on the bridge deck.
The overnight closures will require detours and restrictions from several local side roads traveling to and from Route 51. Left-turns and U-turns will be restricted along Route 51 between Harper Drive and Rostraver Road.
Northbound Route 51 will be reduced to a single lane through the interchange. Route 51 southbound will be reduced to a single lane north of the Rostraver Road interchange to accommodate the traffic entering Route 51.
Additional daytime and overnight single-lane restrictions may occur, as needed, in each direction on the affected section of I-70.
Most of the repair work on the bridge is expected to be finished by late March.
The interchange is slated for reconstruction in a diverging diamond format that will include wider roads, reconfigured intersections and better ramps to and from I-70. That multi-million dollar project includes replacement of the Route 51 bridge that was damaged.
Construction is expected to start this year.
Jeff Himler is a TribLive reporter covering Greater Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Pleasant Area and Derry Area school districts and their communities. He also reports on transportation issues. A journalist for more than three decades, he enjoys delving into local history. He can be reached at jhimler@triblive.com.
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