High water in Westmoreland closes Loyalhanna Creek causeway, Conemaugh River bridge

| Back | Text Size:

https://naviga.triblive.com/local/westmoreland/high-water-in-westmoreland-closes-loyalhanna-creek-causeway-conemaugh-river-bridge/

High water in Westmoreland closes Loyalhanna Creek causeway, Conemaugh River bridge

Jeff Himler | Tuesday, January 30, 2024 4:37 p.m.

TribLive

Days of heavy rain in mid-May 2019 left the Loyalhana Creek swollen, with water rushing over the Sleepy Hollow Causeway across the creek in Unity and Derry townships.

The Sleepy Hollow Causeway across the Loyalhanna Creek east of Ligonier was closed Tuesday afternoon because of flooding.

The causeway connects the eastbound lanes of Route 30 in Unity with the westbound lanes in Derry Township.

PennDOT officials also announced closure of a portion of Bairdstown Road/West Market Street in Derry Township as a precaution because of potential flooding of the adjacent Bairdstown Bridge across the Conemaugh River.

The closure extends from the bridge, which marks the border of Westmoreland and Indiana counties, west to the intersection of Derry Lane.

Officials in Blairsville Borough, on the Indiana County side of the Conemaugh, closed their entrance to the bridge at 7:30 a.m. Monday. Dave Fairman, public works manager for Blairsville, said that decision was based on information about expected water levels, reported by the Army Corp of Engineers.

Fairman said at 3:30 p.m Tuesday the river level was “up to the bottom of the structure,” but had not inundated the road surface of the bridge.

He said the bridge probably will be inspected before it is reopened to traffic.

Email Newsletters