Before continuous closure begins June 29, Commercial Street/Forward Avenue & Nine Mile Run Trail will close briefly this Thursday, June 25 for a "test run" related to the bridge reconstruction project

A short-term closure of Commercial Street/Forward Avenue between Whipple Street & Summerlea Drive will occur Thursday, June 25 from 6am-4pm. Nine Mile Run will also close to all bicycle/pedestrian traffic between the trail parking lots on both sides of the bridge in Swisshelm Park & Frick Park. This closure will occur again on Monday, June 29, and remain in place around-the-clock through early August for the official bridge demolition and new bridge slide maneuvers.

 

Commercial Street/Forward Avenue will have a short-term traffic closure between Whipple Street and Summerset Drive from 6:00 AM to 4:00 PM Thursday. During this time, Nine Mile Run Trail will be closed to all bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Nine Mile Run parking lot in Swisshelm Park and the Frick Park Commercial Street Parking lot in Squirrel Hill.

All traffic will be detoured as follows:

  • From Commercial Street on the Swisshelm Park side
    • From Commercial Street, turn onto Whipple Street
    • Turn left onto Monongahela Avenue
    • Turn left onto S Braddock Avenue
    • Turn left onto Forbes Avenue
    • Turn left onto Beechwood Boulevard
    • Continue to Forward Avenue
    • End Detour
  • From Forward Avenue on the Squirrel Hill side
    • Same detour in the opposite direction

Short-term on June 25: The temporary closure is required to allow crews to perform a test run for the upcoming bridge slide operation for the new I-376 Commercial Street Bridge prior to official demolition and slide that will occur after July 10.

For the safety of the public, the road and trail must be clear of vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic through the work zone as these operations occur. If work is completed earlier than scheduled, the temporary restrictions may be lifted sooner.

Then again, around-the-clock beginning June 29:

As a reminder, this same closure will be put into place at approximately 7:00 a.m. on Monday, June 29, with Commercial Street/Forward Avenue and Nine Mile Run Trail closing to all traffic continuously/around-the-clock through early August. This longer closure period is to accommodate the official demolition of the existing bridge followed by the slide and alignment of the new bridge.

About the project:

The I-376 Commercial Street Bridge Replacement Project will utilize Accelerated Bridge Construction Techniques to laterally slide the new bridge onto the existing alignment of I-376 Parkway East. It will be one of the largest lateral slide projects performed in Pennsylvania.

The $95 million project located between the Edgewood/Swissvale (Exit 77) interchange and Squirrel Hill Tunnel in Edgewood and Swissvale boroughs began in June 2024 with the reconstruction of the westbound I-376 off-ramp to Forest Hills/Wilkinsburg (Exit 78B).

Currently scheduled for July 10 through August 3, 2026, motorists can expect a 25-day full closure and detour of I-376 Parkway East in both directions. The overall project is anticipated to conclude in the summer of 2027.

Staying up-to-date:

To help keep travelers informed as work progresses, PennDOT has created an email distribution list for I-376 Parkway East traffic advisories and construction updates. Subscribe using the Parkway East online sign-up form.

Updates can also be found on the dedicated I-376 Commercial Street Bridge project page (maintained by PennDOT) or by following the Regional PennDOT page on X @511PAPittsburgh and the Greater Pittsburgh Area PennDOT Facebook group.

Travelers can always check on live conditions on major roads/interstates by visiting www.511PA.com – a free, 24/7 service from PennDOT providindg traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 1,200 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices or by calling 5-1-1.

 

Source: PennDOT