Turnpike to close Beaver Valley to Cranberry section for bridge work early Sunday
The Pennsylvania Turnpike will be closed between the Beaver Valley and Cranberry interchanges early Sunday so that crews can remove the bridge structures for the new Freedom Road Bridge spanning the toll road at milepost 28 in Butler County.
The turnpike will be closed in both directions between the Cranberry and the New Castle interchanges starting at 11:55 p.m. Saturday to 4 a.m. Sunday, the turnpike commission said.
PennDOT is suggesting that westbound traffic on the turnpike exit at Cranberry and take Interstate 79 north to Route 422; west to Toll Road 376 east; then reenter the Turnpike at the New Castle interchange.
Eastbound turnpike traffic should exit at New Castle interchange; take Toll Road 376 west; to Route 422 east; to I-79 south. Traffic then can re-enter the turnpike at the Cranberry interchange.
Motorists are being asked to use the suggested detour to limit heavy congestion on local roads.
Replacing the overhead bridge, which carries Freedom Road over the turnpike in Cranberry Township, is a PennDOT project, but is funded by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. PennDOT began construction in February 2019.
If a backup date is needed, the work will be done early Sunday, Aug. 30, the turnpike commission said.
For more information on this project visit: https://www.penndot.gov/RegionalOffices/district-10/ConstructionsProjectsAndRoadwork/Pages/Freedom-Road-Turnpike-Bridge-Project.aspx.
Joe Napsha is a TribLive reporter covering Irwin, North Huntingdon and the Norwin School District. He also writes about business issues. He grew up on Neville Island and has worked at the Trib since the early 1980s. He can be reached at jnapsha@triblive.com.
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