A state road connecting Sewickley Heights and Edgeworth that has been closed for more than four years is being repaired.

Allison Park Construction crews have begun the restoration of Way Hollow Road. The work includes drainage upgrades, geotechnical repairs, roadway resurfacing and guardrail updates.

The estimated project cost is $4.1 million.

The road is expected to be reopened by the end of the year.

PennDOT spokeswoman Nicole Haney said the road, which has been partially closed since 2020 because of landslides, will be repaired and returned to local municipalities. She also expressed gratitude for the collaboration of local and state officials in making the project possible.

According to PennDOT records, about 119 cars used Way Hollow Road on a daily basis prior to its closure.

Sewickley Heights Manager Nathan Briggs said the landslides occurred during the winter of 2019 and the road was closed the following January.

Since then, officials from both boroughs coordinated with PennDOT and state leaders, including Rep. Valerie Gaydos, R-Allegheny, and Sen. Devlin Robinson, R-Bridgeville, to find solutions.

“The length of time to reopen the roadway was due to the design of the project and the coordination of the turnback with the local municipalities,” Haney said.

Turnback refers to the state program and multi-step process in which local municipalities take over ownership of state roads.

Sewickley Heights and Edgeworth would both be responsible for maintaining their respective portions of the road once repairs are complete.

“In this case, it was the best solution to get the road reconstructed and opened up,” Briggs said. “It took some coordination on their side to find the appropriate funding within PennDOT, and then an agreed-upon solution between our municipality and Edgeworth and PennDOT and then engineering it all. It took awhile, but it was mutually beneficial for everybody involved. … It’s a really big deal.”

Briggs said council and residents are excited to get the road reopened as the closure has led to heavier traffic and more abuse of smaller borough roads.

Edgeworth Manager Ellen Politi echoed those comments.

“It’s a thoroughfare for Edgeworth and Sewickley Heights residents to reach connecting communities,” she said. “Right now, residents have to go up Chestnut Road to get to Sewickley Heights. Opening Way Hollow is just another avenue for them to be able to reach neighboring municipalities.

“It’s been several years since the closure. I think residents are excited to have another avenue to reach Sewickley Heights. A lot of residents have used that road for walking since it’s been closed. I think there’s also a little bit of mixed feelings about not having a walking trail.”

The Sewickley Heights portion of Way Hollow is about a mile starting from Backbone Road to the Edgeworth line.

The posted detour involves Persimmon Road to Chestnut Road.

The Edgeworth portion of Way Hollow is from Woodland Road to a home at 19 Way Hollow Road.

The closed-off area is not developed, meaning no resident access is inhibited.

“It is important for residents to remain out of that area … while construction is going on so everybody stays safe,” Politi said.

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