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Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing the reopening of the southbound I-79 crossover in Glenfield, Sewickley Hills, and Franklin Park boroughs and Ohio and Aleppo townships, Allegheny County.

Due to several crashes at the crossover location on southbound I-79, the Department closed the left-hand express lane on Monday evening and implemented a 45 MPH speed limit in the work zone. Additional safety improvements that been completed include: 

• An around-the-clock presence of the Pennsylvania State Police for the next two weeks;

• Trucks restricted to the right-hand local lane through the work zone;

• Addition of full-matrix changeable message signs;

• Addition of four speed minders in the work zone;

• Addition of advanced signage further north of the work zone allowing for an extended gore area redefining the lane decision point prior to the crossover;

• Installation of additional signs including speed reduction/45 MPH hour signs;

• Milling and paving to remove rumble strips;

• Line and legend painting;

• Installation of raised pavement markers; and

• Barrier removal and guiderail installation work.

As a reminder, the following traffic configuration and restrictions will occur: 

• The left lane of southbound I-79 will be crossed over into the northbound lanes between the I-279 and the Red Mud Hollow Road overpass. This is the EXPRESS lane. All traffic using this lane will not have access to the Mt. Nebo Road (Exit 68) or Emsworth/Sewickley Route 65 (Exit 66) interchanges. Southbound express lane traffic will be crossed back over between the Emsworth/Sewickley Route 65 (Exit 66) interchange and the Neville Island Bridge. 

• The right lane of southbound I-79 will remain in place. This is the LOCAL lane. Access to the Mt. Nebo Road (Exit 68) and Emsworth/Sewickley Route 65 (Exit 66) interchanges must be made from the local lane. Traffic will be shifted slightly at the Red Mud Hollow Road and Glenfield Road bridges to allow crews to conduct half width deck replacement work.

• Two lanes of traffic will be maintained on northbound I-79. A barrier will separate the northbound lanes and the crossed over southbound lane.

• Emergency pull-off areas will be implemented in various locations through the work zone. Three pull-off areas will be implemented in the northbound lanes, three in the southbound express lane, and three in the southbound local lane.

• The southbound crossover will remain in place continuously through late-November.

Motorists are asked to slow down and avoid distractions when traveling through the work zone. The department will continue to monitor and adjust the work zone to ensure the safety of both the motoring public and our workers.

The work is part of the $26.49 million I-79 improvement project. Improvements include four bridge deck replacements, one bridge preservation, milling and resurfacing, preservation work on seven sign structures, installation of five new ITS signs, guide rail improvements, signage updates, and pavement marking installation. Crossovers will occur on southbound I-79 in 2023 for bridge deck replacement work. The majority of the project will conclude in early 2024.

The prime contractor is the Joseph B. Fay Company. Work on this project will be coordinated with other projects in the area.

To help keep motorists informed as work progresses, PennDOT has created an email distribution list for the I-79 Neville Island Bridge rehabilitation including traffic advisories and construction updates. Enroll by sending email addresses to stcowan@pa.gov. Please write “Subscribe – I-79” in the subject line.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

MEDIA CONTACT: Steve Cowan, 412-429-5010

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