Route 28 traffic to shift lanes in Aspinwall as nearby projects aim to improve drainage, thwart bottlenecks

Drivers heading northbound on Route 28 from Pittsburgh through Aspinwall will follow a slightly different traffic pattern starting Monday morning, PennDOT officials said.

The flow of traffic will be adjusted to shift from the highway’s left outbound lane, which will be closed, to the right lane.

It’s expected to remain that way through most of September, as construction crews do roadside work such as improving drainage and repairing signs.

Next week’s traffic shift shouldn’t increase travel time, PennDOT spokesman Steve Cowan said. Cowan said the change should be obviously marked.

He urged motorists to slow down in the area, particularly in areas where crews are working.

“Please use caution when traveling through the work zone,” Cowan said.

The shift will happen as multiple major construction projects advance along Route 28 and its ramps and interchanges.

The most highly anticipated change for drivers — expanding the bottleneck-prone highway from one to two lanes near the Highland Park Bridge — won’t be completed until 2023.

Golden Triangle Construction is advancing a nearly $50 million project to alleviate the traffic congestion issues near the bridge’s interchange and nearby ramps in Aspinwall, Fox Chapel, Sharpsburg, O’Hara and Pittsburgh.

In coming months, work is expected to wrap on a $12.2 million project involving mill and overlay and bridge preservation from the Etna Bypass to the Highland Park Bridge in O’Hara and Sharpsburg. The work by Gulisek Construction LLC has been in progress since May 2020.

For more information about PennDOT’s construction projects and traffic conditions, go to 511PA.com.

To get updates on Route 28-specific updates, send an email to Cowan at stcowan@pa.gov with “Subscribe — Route 28” in the subject line.