Route 981 detour ahead as PennDOT plans to replace Latrobe bridge
A section of Route 981 in Latrobe will be closed for a few days, beginning July 12, so crews can remove a bridge over Unity Run and replace it with a box culvert deck.
Route 981 (Lloyd Avenue) will be closed to traffic between Wimmerton Industrial Park and Linden Street. A marked 9-mile detour will direct motorists along routes 30 and 982 and Industrial Boulevard.
Most motorists don’t realize they’re crossing the bridge since it’s hidden from view and the stream passes through underground culverts on either side of the street. The bridge is located just south of the Latrobe Fire Department’s Hose House 6 and is between the intersections of River Avenue and Mary Street.
July 15 is the tentative completion date for the work, which is part of a $1.1 million PennDOT project being constructed by CH&D Enterprises.
In the weeks leading up to the bridge replacement, two-way traffic has been maintained on Route 981. Vehicles have been squeezed into two shifted lanes, each 11 feet wide.
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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