Intermittent stoppages along various Route 28 ramps in Allegheny County will begin this week for wrong-way detection testing.
PennDOT said stoppages spanning about 15 minutes will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday while the testing takes place.
Wrong-way detection systems use radar and cameras on highway off-ramps to see vehicles traveling in the wrong direction.
The systems trigger LED warning signs to alert the wrong-way drivers to stop. In addition, they notify authorities instantly, sending notifications to PennDOT’s Western Regional Traffic Management Center, a news release said.
This $4.8 million safety project is conducted by the City of Pittsburgh and Harmar.
PennDOT District 11 Traffic Engineer Stephanie Zolnak previously told TribLive that the project will target 21 ramps along the expressway where there have been 30 wrong-way crashes recorded between 2019 to 2023.
PennDOT said Power Contracting Company, headquartered in Carnegie, is the prime contractor for the project.
Stoppages on Wednesday include:
- Southbound Route 28 off-ramp to Harmar/I-76/Route 910 (Exit 11)
- Southbound Route 28 off-ramp to RIDC Park (Exit 10)
- Southbound Route 28 off-ramp to Fox Chapel Road/Waterworks Drive/Freeport Road (Exit 8)
- Southbound Route 28 left-hand off-ramp to 40th Street Bridge/Lawrenceville (Exit 3A)
- Southbound Route 28 off-ramp to Millvale (Exit 3B)
- Southbound Route 28 off-ramp to 31st Street Bridge/Strip District (Exit 2)
- Southbound Route 28 off-ramp to I-279 North/East Ohio Street (Exit 1B)
Stoppages on Thursday include:
- Northbound Route 28 left-hand off-ramp to I-279 North/East Ohio Street
- Northbound Route 28 off-ramp to 31st Street Bridge (Exit 2)
- Northbound Route 28 left-hand off-ramp to 40th Street Bridge/Lawrenceville (Exit 3A)
- Northbound Route 28 left-hand off-ramp to Millvale (Exit 3B)
- Northbound Route 28 left-hand off-ramp to Etna (Exit 4)
- Northbound Route 28 off-ramp to Route 8 South towards RD Fleming Bridge/Sharpsburg (Exit 5A)
- Northbound Route 28 off-ramp to Highland Park Bridge/Aspinwall (Exit 6)
- Northbound Route 28 off-ramp to Delafield Avenue (Exit 7)
- Northbound Route 28 off-ramp to Fox Chapel Road/Waterworks Drive/Freeport Road (Exit 8)
- Northbound Route 28 off-ramp to Blawnox (Exit 9)
- Northbound Route 28 off-ramp to RIDC Park (Exit 10)
- Northbound and southbound Route 28 off-ramps to Harmar/I-76/Route 910 (Exit 11)
There will be single-lane and shoulder restrictions through most of the project, with intermittent traffic stoppages as needed, PennDOT said.
