Sep 22, 2015 2 min read

Drivers traveling Interstate 70 near the Murtland Avenue exit in South Strabane Township will see some changes on the highway in the coming weeks before crews wrap up work on the diverging diamond interchange for the construction season before Thanksgiving.

All of the beams for the bridge that takes the eastbound side of the highway over Route 19 have been reset, said Scott Faieta, assistant construction engineer for the state Department of Transportation overseeing the $54 million project. The beams were removed last month and sandblasted.

“The concrete deck for the bridge will be poured Oct. 1,” Faieta said Tuesday, adding the work will not affect traffic on Route 19.

Traffic is expected to switch to a new concrete ramp to I-70 westbound at Route 19 on Oct. 2.

Faieta said the short ramp from Route 19 south that required drivers to stop at a stop sign before merging will be eliminated. Southbound drivers will turn right at the temporary traffic signal to enter the highway. Drivers going north on Route 19 to I-70 west will continue to make the left turn at the light.

Paving work on the southbound lanes of Route 19 also is continuing, Faieta said. He expects traffic patterns on the interstate and Route 19 to remain in place until work concludes in November.

When the newly built eastbound lanes of I-70 open in November, there will be three lanes but drivers will have access to just two of those lanes, Faieta said. The third lane closest to the median will be barricaded.

“When we start up in March, the westbound lanes will be done,” he added.

The general contractor, Golden Triangle Construction of Imperial, started work on the project a year ago. Work is slated to be done in November 2017. Faieta said about $21 million has been paid to the contractor, adding the project is on schedule.

“We couldn’t have asked for better weather,” Faieta said. “The last three weeks have been great.”

The westbound lanes of I-70 will be restricted this weekend to the east of the project as crews demolish a bridge that takes the highway over Interstate 79 at the south junction. A box culvert that has already been installed is replacing the bridge.

Faieta said the single-lane restriction will start at 8 p.m. Friday and be removed no later than 6 a.m. Monday.