Lane Closures, Detours Planned For Phase 2 Of Parkway North Project

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - If you thought the first phase of the reconstruction of the Parkway North was bad this year, just wait for what is coming up in 2018.

The new look of the Parkway North inbound is the goal for the outbound side in the coming year, but be forewarned.

"You're going to see a little more activity than in the southbound direction," PennDOT District 11 Executive Cheryl Moon-Sirianni said.

The northbound section from the Fort Duquesne Bridge across the North Shore needs a lot of work. Lane closures and diverting traffic to Route 28 and Madison Avenue will be part of it.

"There's a lot of traffic in that section today and any construction is going to cause some delays. So, our goal is to try and get folks off that area onto detour routes," Moon-Sirianni said.

Here's what's in store if you're coming off the Veterans Bridge:

"Where it goes from two lanes to one lane, we're going to give about another 1,000 feet to stay in the two lanes before you merge onto [Interstate] 279," Moon-Sirianni said.

The Madison Avenue ramp from the North Side will also be lengthened.

"Almost a half-mile, about 2,000 feet," Moon-Sirianni said.

It's all designed to relieve the afternoon rush hour merging-prompted congestion.

At the Hazlett Street exit, around April, PennDOT will open up the wall to the HOV lane.

"[To] allow all the traffic from the northbound lanes to go into the HOV," Moon-Sirianni said.

Three mainline lanes will be squeezed into two HOV lanes. At Perrysville, one lane will merge back into the northbound lanes and have access to all exits while the other will cross over and will be driving on the southbound lanes.

The lanes will come back together just past Camp Horne Road.

While they're at it, PennDOT is going to correct an uncomfortable spot at Perrysville where northbound traffic from the HOV lane merges from the left around the same time traffic from Perrysville merges from the right.

"We're going to extend the Perrysville ramp some 800 feet so you are not merging at the same time," Moon-Sirianni said.

It's a season load of work that will launch as the last flakes of snow fly in March. In 2019, the HOV lanes will get the upgrade.