Traffic switch on I-70 at Murtland postponed
The lane switch on Interstate 70 near Murtland Avenue was postponed because of poor weather conditions. The switch is now scheduled for April 19.
The lane switch on Interstate 70 has been postponed because of inclement weather. The switch is now scheduled for April 19.
A week’s worth of inclement weather forced the state Department of Transportation to postpone switching traffic on westbound Interstate 70 in South Strabane Township to the eastbound side of the highway as part of the project to construct the diverging diamond interchange at Murtland Avenue.
The switch is now scheduled to start the night of April 19 and be completed by 6 a.m. the following day, said Scott Faieta, assistant construction engineer for PennDOT who is overseeing the $51.2 million project. The switchover was scheduled to start Thursday and wrap up Friday morning.
“The rain delayed us and prevented us from getting the crossovers paved for the switch,” Faieta said Tuesday.
Traffic on the eastbound side of the highway was shifted right last week to make room for westbound traffic to that side of the highway. The eastbound lanes were rebuilt last year and the westbound lanes are being reconstructed.
Temporary crossovers are being built to allow westbound traffic to move over to the eastbound side of the highway at the eastern end of the project and then move back to the westbound side on the western end of the construction zone. There also will be crossovers built to allow traffic to get on and off the highway at Murtland.
Golden Triangle Construction of Imperial is the general contractor on the project.