Pennsylvania Turnpike, I-70 work to trigger Cranberry detour, Westmoreland restrictions
Work on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and Interstate 70 will cause a detour in Cranberry and restrictions in Westmoreland County beginning on Monday, according to officials.
Weather permitting, a nearly 2-mile detour will be in place from 6 a.m. Monday through 5 a.m. Friday, Oct. 27 for eastbound turnpike travelers at the Cranberry Interchange.
That’s when the off-ramp to Route 19 is scheduled to be closed for concrete pavement repairs.
During the closure, motorists are instructed to proceed straight and use the left lanes, entering the on-ramp for Interstate 79 North (Erie).
They’ll continue onto I-79 North and then take Exit 78 to Route 228 (Cranberry/Mars). They’ll follow signs for Route 228 West to Route 19 (Cranberry). They then will turn left at a traffic signal, heading onto Route 228, to reach the intersection of Route 19 (Perry Highway).
Turnpike officials advised motorists to expect traffic that is heavier than usual at the point where vehicles will exit the detour.
Westmoreland County work
Work to repair a bridge deck joint will close the right-hand westbound lane of the turnpike approaching the New Stanton Interchange. The closure will be in effect around the clock from 5 p.m. Monday through 5:30 p.m. Wednesday and is expected to cause travel delays.
Nighttime single-lane restrictions will affect traffic headed in both directions on Interstate 70, between exits Exit 44 (Arnold City) and 46A (Uniontown) /46B (Pittsburgh) in Rostraver. Those restrictions are slated between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. Monday through Oct. 27.
According to PennDOT, crews will be shifting traffic barriers as work continues on a $120.6 million project to reconstruct the Route 51 Interchange at Exit 46.
The interchange will feature a new Diverging Diamond format. Lanes of traffic on Route 51 will switch to the opposite side of the road and back again, through a pair of signalized intersections. That will allow drivers to turn left from Route 51 onto I-70 without crossing in front of oncoming traffic.
A pair of bridges will carry Route 51 over the interstate, replacing the previous single span.
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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