Lokay Lane by Jim Lokay

Weekend Construction Summary

Fri, 08 May 2009 13:09:29 GMT

Ready for a busy weekend on the roads? Parkway West outbound CLOSED from 10 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Monday This will affect traffic from I-79 to Routes 22/30. Traffic to be detoured onto I-79 northbound to Route 60, then onto Steubenville Pike before rejoining 22/30. Parkway East outbound LANE CLOSURES this weekend during morning hours Crews will be performing utility work. Saturday, May 9: 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.: Right and center lanes closed; single left lane remains open, 9 a.m. to noon: Single right lane closure only; left and center lanes open. Sunday, May 10: 6 a.m. to noon: Single left lane closure only; right and center lanes open Parkway North inbound and outbound LANE CLOSURES this weekend Crews will be patching concrete and paving the roadway Inbound: Single lane closure (one lane open) from 7 p.m. on Friday to 4 p.m. on Sunday; concrete patching will occur. Outbound: Single lane closure (one lane open) from midnight on Friday to 5 p.m. on Saturday; asphalt paving will occur -->-->--> For up-to-date Real Time Traffic this weekend, check out http://www.kdka.com. Also, please share any traffic news/cell phone pictures via Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/jimlokay (@jimlokay is my handle.)

Rough Weekend On The Way....

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 14:46:56 GMT

It's going to be a big mess on the roads this weekend....

The Parkway East inbound will be CLOSED all weekend long, and there will be a lane closure down the road near the Birmingham Bridge on Saturday.

The Parkway West will have some lane closures.

The Parkway North outbound will shift the HOV lanes.

Watch the morning news tomorrow for more details!

Updates!

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 15:33:14 GMT

By popular demand, here's a status report on some major arteries:

1. PARKWAY EAST - work continues during off-peak hours on rehab work from Churchill to Edgewood/Swissvale, although Churchill section looks to be resurfaced at long last. Work was suspended over the weekend, and I suspect it will be for Labor Day Weekend as well.

2. PARKWAY WEST - crews continue rehabbing Greentree Road overpass. Single lane closures happened during off-peak hours, and work will continue through the fall.

3. PARKWAY NORTH - inbound reconstruction continues. The big shift to the HOV lanes is expected to continue through mid-September. I'll believe it when I see it! However, there's still the issue of the HOV lanes being closed into downtown, starting at Venture Street. PennDOT seems to be content at keeping things status quo, although I'll keep you posted.

4. BOULEVARD OF THE ALLIES - bridge construction continues through November at the earliest. Forbes Avenue restrictions were lifted about a week ago, finally giving drivers an extra lane into Oakland. This change really did alleviate some spillover onto the Parkway East outbound lanes.

What else is vexing you? Let me know!

A Fresh Coat

Wed, 07 May 2008 15:29:11 GMT

You don't like yellow paint on your car, do you?

Good. Neither do I.

That being said, you'll have to watch out for the paint trucks. PennDOT says it will start repainting lines on many local roads, including the Parkways East and West, I-79, and the Crosstown (I-579.)

The work is slated to happen daily between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Here's what to expect, according to a PennDOT release:

PennDOT urges motorists to exercise caution and patience, and suggests allowing at least 250 feet (13 car lengths) behind line painting equipment to avoid damage. Motorists should avoid passing the paint vehicles unless directed by a paint crew member or flag person to do so. Passing too quickly can cause damage to fresh paint lines and may result in paint on the motorist’s vehicle. Line painting vehicles normally pull over every two and one-half miles or when safety permits. Recent technological advancements on the mix of formulas have produced fast dry paints that are dry to the touch within 2 to 3 minutes. It is crucial to stay off these lines during the curing period.

Motorists who accidentally get paint on their vehicles should immediately wash the paint off with a high-pressure water stream and detergent. Dried paint can be removed with de-natured alcohol and a soft cloth. Generally, PennDOT is not responsible for paint on vehicles.

I have a feeling we'll be running into some paint-related mishaps through the work period, which continues through June.

Parkway East Update - NO SHUTDOWN!

Thu, 01 May 2008 14:43:48 GMT

You heard it here first!

There will be NO total closures of the Parkway East this weekend. However, I was just told drivers can expect lane closures (which could still cause big delays) on the OUTBOUND side from Friday night through Monday morning.

Watch for more tomorrow morning on KDKA-TV Morning News.