Lokay Lane by Jim Lokay

Bakerstown Road Closure

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 09:36:40 GMT

In this era of heightened awareness of the fragility of our infrastructure, anything that could remotely cause alarm takes top priority. Here's some information about the closure of Bakerstown Road in West Deer Township.

From a PennDOT release:

Bakerstown Road Closed Until Further Notice in West Deer Township

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing Bakerstown Road (Route 1028) will be closed until further notice at the intersection with Saxonburg Road (Route 1013) in West Deer Township, Allegheny County, beginning at approximately 3 p.m. this afternoon, Thursday, Oct. 1.

The closure is necessary as a safety precaution after PennDOT bridge inspectors found significant deterioration on the bridge’s gusset plates and a floor beam. The bridge carries Bakertown Road over B. & L.E. railroad tracks. The bridge, known as the Culmerville Truss, is owned by the railroad company, not PennDOT. The 135-foot long, single span deck truss bridge was built in 1921 and last rehabilitated in 1991.

Signs will be posted to guide motorists while the bridge remains closed until necessary repairs can be made by the railroad company. About 4,438 vehicles use Bakerstown Road in this area on an average day.

Posted detour:

From west

Take Saxonburg Boulevard south to East Union Road (Route 1025)
Turn left onto East Union Road and follow to Starr Road (Route 1026).
Turn left onto Starr Road to Russellton Road (Route 1015)
Take left onto Russellton Road and follow north back to Bakerstown Road

From east

Use same detour in opposite direction

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.)

Snow Day!

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 22:47:04 GMT

Around the city, the afternoon rush hour isn't that bad. In Beaver and Fayette Counties, it's a different story.

Check out these pictures from Bill Alexander's http://www.netioblog.com. He snapped some shots from the new stretch of Route 43 around the Uniontown area.

Bill hosts a nightly live web-based radio show at http://www.netioshow.com.

You Ask, I Answer...

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:10:08 GMT

Time to answer your questions on what's going on out there on the roads...

Bob says: I travel the dreaded route 28 into the city every day. I have heard the rumor about it being closed northbound at Etna, with a detour across the 62nd street bridge to Butler street, then onto the Highland Park bridge back onto to 28 north. If this is true, do you know when this may happen? If this is just a rumor, do you really know what is going to take place? Thanks.

I say: Right now, Route 8 traffic heading towards northbound 28 is being forced on a detour because of the ongoing ramp and bridge work. But a full-blown 28 closure? Hardly likely, and there's nothing in the PennDOT crystal ball that indicates it's on the way. So I'd say rumor, and nothing more.

Jennifer says: Hello. I'm just trying to find out why Brinton Road is going to be closed, and for how long? I can't find any information about this closure. I use this route to get to work daily, and it is bad enough that the Wilkinsburg ramp to go towards Monroeville is closed for god knows how long. Any information will be helpful. Plus, how can they close this road with a Holiday Inn on it?

I say: I did a story on the Brinton Road closure last week (http://kdka.com/local/PennDOT.road.construction.2.806341.html), and some people aren't too happy, but the bridge is in deplorable shape and the work needs to be done. It looks like just the bridge will be closed, meaning people trying to get around Brinton Road will likely use Ardmore Boulevard and Braddock Road as alternates. Jim Struzzi from PennDOT doesn't have a firm idea on how long the closure will last (the contractors are working out their final plans,) but I imagine that's going to be a faster project because it's a relatively small swath of pavement. We shall see. As for the Wilkinsburg ramps that you mentioned, they determined halfway through that there was additional work necessary, and it seems like some of our older bridges are of that nature, where you don't see the issues until you get down to the steel beams. As for the Holiday Inn, that road assuredly will not be closed.

Pam says: Question for you...the construction being done on the road that leads up to Great Valley Shopping center where the intersection with the Primanti Brothers is located says that construction is starting on that stretch of road today...are they doing the construction during the day or at night?

I say: Pam's referring to North Versailles, and an intersection I go through twice a day to get to work. They're doing some paving work, although last night's work cleared around 4:30 a.m. Today's work will happen from 8am-4pm, they'll take tonight off, then get back into it from 6pm Thursday through 6am Friday morning.

Anything else you'd like to know?

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!

North Shore Connector Arrives

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 11:51:06 GMT

In just about an hour, TunnelWatch '08 kicks into high gear. The Port Authority says that massive tunnel boring machine will arrive downtown, marking the completion of the first "big dig" underneath the Allegheny River. In essence, it's one down, one more to go.

It's undoubtedly a big milestone for the project, but it's really just the tip of the iceberg. There are still several components in the planning stages, including:

How to pay for a $50 million Gateway Center subway station, when the bids have come in well over budget.
Demolishing the SportsWorks complex on the North Side, and erecting above ground rails for the new Heinz Field station.
Drilling the second tunnel.

Judi McNeil from the Port Authority just told me the drill should break through between 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. We'll have more on KDKA-TV News at Noon and also in our later newscasts today.

What do you think about the project? Share your thoughts with me below.

Welcome Back, Stanwix Street

Wed, 21 May 2008 19:30:42 GMT

I just received word from the Port Authority that Stanwix Street in downtown Pittsburgh will reopen on Friday, May 23.

The road has been closed for MONTHS to accommodate the excavation of a massive receiving pit for the drill that's currently burrowing beneath the Allegheny River for the North Shore Connector project.

Interestingly enough, the crater is still there, but you'll be driving across metal decking put in place to bridge the gap. This is the same procedure the Port Authority implemented across the river, when digging started near the home plate entrance to PNC Park.

Before you get excited, Stanwix will be closed in various intervals throughout the construction project, including later this year, when the drill finishes its journey. The Port Authority's Judi McNeil says at that point, they'll have to close the bridge and remove the decking so massive cranes can literally pick the drill up and turn it around to dig the second tunnel.

I was hoping Port Authority would address the issues surrounding the web cam that will eventually give us live images of the drill's progress. Apparently, there are privacy concerns on the part of the unions representing the construction workers. It's a poor argument, if that's the case. It's the people's project, and the taxpayers have a right to a first-hand progress report by way of the camera.

For more information, there is a website set up by the Port Authority to answer questions. You can find it at http://www.boretotheshore.com.

Smithfield Street Changes

Wed, 21 May 2008 19:14:57 GMT

I've been hearing from many of you about some changes the city apparently implemented on Smithfield Street and the Boulevard of the Allies. I checked it out today, and sure enough, you no longer are able to make a left turn in front of the Smithfield News shop onto Smithfield from the Boulevard. There are large plastic barricades blocking the turning lane. Something to look into, I'm sure. We'll keep you posted.

Parkway North Alert

Wed, 21 May 2008 19:13:15 GMT

Correction: The announcement is FRIDAY, not Thursday. My apologies!

We'll be learning tomorrow what PennDOT exactly plans on doing next week, when it shuts down the HOV lanes on the Parkway North. They'll be closed for several weeks as they re-patch and re-pave the lanes, as well as fix the drainage system. If you drive them, you know they're a mess. Unfortunately, that translates into a mess on the Parkway in turn. I'll have the report in our afternoon newscasts.

Airport In-Security

Mon, 19 May 2008 13:32:30 GMT

If you've flown out of Pittsburgh International as of late, you may have noticed a new system at the security checkpoint. In order to expedite the arduous task of shedding the shoes and emptying your bags at the x-ray scanners, the Transportation Security Administration is rolling out a pilot program at several airports. Since Pittsburgh International was chosen, the signs indicating "green" (for families and people with special needs who need extra time), "blue" (for casual travelers), and "black" (for frequent flyers)| have been up for about a month now.

I had a friend in town from Philadelphia over the weekend, and I volunteered to drive him back to the airport on Sunday. Since I've fly a few times a year, I figured we'd go to lunch and make it through the airport in fairly short order. Wrong. Lines at the checkpoint were quite long (I haven't seen them that long since the post-Christmas rush in 2004!) While my friend got through in 20 minutes, he was still cutting it close for the flight. Sure, it was my fault for not heeding the "90 minute-2 hour" early arrival rule of thumb.

However, I noticed something interesting: the new sign system was already scrapped. The signs were turned backwards so all passengers saw was a blank sheet of cardboard. The fact remains that a program that should alleviate problems wasn't being used. The frequent flyers were standing shoulder to shoulder with families of four. Also, the "alternate security checkpoint" that sits in the old commuter terminal was closed. Shouldn't that be open when the going gets tough at the main checkpoints?

I'll have to get some answers for you on the status of the program. It seems that something with a fairly noble intent is being tossed aside at the very moment where it could be the most helpful.