Saltsburg Road in Plum reopens as Turnpike bridge project nears completion

At any other time, a nearly monthlong closure of Saltsburg Road for work on a new bridge over the Pennsylvania Turnpike would have hit American Legion Post 980 in Plum pretty hard.

But covid-19, and the shutdowns and restrictions it has wrought, had done a good enough job of that already.

“We were closed while they were working on the road,” Ja Stoddart, the legion’s club manager, said. “It really hasn’t been too horrible.”

Saltsburg Road reopened Wednesday after work to connect the road to the new bridge over the turnpike was substantially finished, turnpike spokeswoman Susan Jones said. The road, which sees about 7,900 vehicles each day, had been closed since July 18.

The posted detour for cars had been about 11 miles long, while the detour for commercial truck traffic was almost 26 miles.

Davidson Road, which had been closed at Saltsburg, also is open.

With the new bridge, built beside the old span, Saltsburg Road and its intersection with Davidson have been reconfigured.

While the roads are open, the contractor, Mosites, continues to work on driveway tie-ins and minor roadway items, as well as removal of the old bridge over the turnpike, Jones said.

“I do foresee intermittent short-term lane closures on Saltsburg in order for Mosites to complete the remaining work,” she said.

Bridges over the turnpike are being replaced to prepare for its widening. The widening project is still in design, Jones said.

Stoddart said the American Legion post expects to lose part of its parking lot when the turnpike is widened.

Because of covid-19 restrictions, the American Legion is allowed to operate at only a quarter of its capacity. Stoddart said the post can be open only in the evenings when the kitchen is open, and it can’t have any events in its banquet hall.

But the post can still do things outside, including a weekly car show on Tuesdays when the weather is good. A support group for stroke survivors was meeting outside on Thursday.

“We’re limping along and we’re doing OK,” Stoddart said.

Stoddart said they are happy the road is reopen. The new bridge and road “look beautiful,” she said. “We’re really happy with it.”

David Borkovich, owner of Willow Golf Range next to the legion, also is happy that Saltsburg and Davidson are open again. The closure had an impact, but his seasonal, family-owned business is starting to show signs of life.

“They did a nice job,” he said. “It looks good. The road’s nice. It’s wider and straighter. It should be good for the future.”

With traffic at different times being unable to get to his business from one end or the other, Borkovich said drivers were sometimes so confused they gave up and left. He said his business got 30 to 40 a calls a day from people wondering if Willow was open and, if so, how to get there.

“It was very tough between all the problems going on and the road being closed,” he said.

A new bridge over the turnpike also is under construction nearby along Unity Trestle Road. No information on upcoming traffic restrictions or closures for that bridge project was available Thursday.