Looming closure of Tarentum Bridge prompts planning by police, drivers

PennDOT hasn’t released the official detour route for when the Tarentum Bridge will be closed this month, but New Kensington police are getting ready for the closure.

The New Kensington Bridge, spanning the Allegheny River between the city and East Deer, is likely to be part of the posted detour when the Tarentum Bridge closes for 16 days, tentatively scheduled to start June 9. The Tarentum Bridge is used by about 30,000 vehicles daily.

PennDOT crews have notified emergency agencies and personnel in the area of the closure, PennDOT spokeswoman Yasmeen Manyisha said.

“The plan is to use the detour and continue to monitor traffic, adjusting as needed,” she said.

To help keep traffic flowing across the bridge heading into New Kensington, police Chief Bob Deringer said they place an arrow at their end of the bridge requiring all traffic to turn right. That helps prevent traffic from backing up on the bridge when vehicles wanting to go straight into the city stack up, blocking the ramp.

With the bridge being on the detour for the closure of part of Coxcomb Hill Road in Plum, the arrow has been put out every day between 2 and 7 p.m., Deringer said.

“This will continue through the end of the closure of the Tarentum Bridge,” Deringer said. “I have also reached out to East Deer Police Department to discuss what actions may need to be taken to assist with traffic flow on their side of the 9th Street Bridge in both the morning and evening rush hours.”

East Deer police did not return calls for comment.

Traffic also may get heavy in both directions on Freeport Road through Tarentum’s west side. Borough Manager Michael Nestico said the borough does not have any plans for additional traffic control measures.

“Typically the first couple days of road projects are difficult,” he said. “But after the drivers adjust to the change in routes, things usually seem to work out. If we run into lingering issues, we will look at our options or consider alternative solutions.”

When roads are closed, PennDOT sets detour routes using state roads that can accommodate all vehicles, including trucks, PennDOT spokesman Jay Ofsanik said. They are intended to help drivers who may not know the areas and to not send traffic onto local roads that may not be able to handle it.

With the exception of trucks, drivers aren’t required to follow official, posted detours, and in many cases drivers who know the area are free to find other ways around that may be shorter.

But, there are only so many ways to cross a river, which in the case of the Tarentum Bridge closure leaves drivers with fewer options.

Depending on where they’re coming from and going to, drivers wanting to avoid the New Kensington Bridge could consider using the Freeport Bridge to the north, or the Hulton Bridge to the south. Closer to Pittsburgh, there’s the Highland Park Bridge.

Getting to the Freeport Bridge could be problematic. Because of work on Route 356 in Allegheny Township, a width restriction is in place for trucks over 10 feet, 6 inches wide between Route 56 and White Cloud Road, Ofsanik said. Drivers also may encounter flaggers and lane restrictions during daylight hours as work there increases.

“As long as people are cautious, they should be able to navigate through,” he said.

Later, there could be short-term closures while culverts are set, but Ofsanik wasn’t sure when that will happen.

“Our plan is to keep 356 open as much as possible,” Ofsanik said.

Harmar police Chief Jason Domaratz said his department hasn’t noticed much of a difference in traffic with the Hulton Bridge being part of the posted detour for the Coxcomb Hill Road closure.

“Once the Tarentum project starts, we will monitor and address it as needed,” Domaratz said.