Locust Avenue reopens after seven months

The key Locust Avenue connector between the Interstate 79 off-ramp near Meadow Lands and the city of Washington reopened this week after a seven-month closure. The road was closed in March after a rainstorm triggered a landslide that damaged the roadway. Repair work on the damaged section of Locust began in mid-July, which included slope stabilization, drainage upgrades and new paving. State Department of Transportation District 12 Community Relations Coordinator Melissa Maczko estimated in August that the total cost of the project would run between $1 million and $2 million in emergency funding. Allegheny County firm Allison Park Contractors completed the repair work. [Conner Goetz]