Route 356 work in Allegheny Township to begin next month

Motorists who use state Route 356 in Allegheny Township should circle April 4 on their calendars.

That’s the day an eight-month-long renovation of the key traffic artery will begin. The work will be done in three phases. The first is from Weinels Crossroads to Piper Road; Phase 2 will be from Piper Road to Indian Hill Road; and the third phase from Indian Hill Road to White Cloud Road.

No start dates have been determined for the second and third phases. Factors such as weather will determine the duration of each. Work previously was expected to wrap up by October of this year.

Detours will be posted for each phase of the project.

The work is part of a $15.9 million PennDOT project that began in 2020 to improve the highway and provide a connector to Route 28 near Freeport. Work has or will include realigning the road to remove steep hills and reconstruction and repaving of the road base.

The first phase of the project will start at the Route 356/56 split, commonly known as Weinels Crossroads, where Hickory Street meets 356. Route 356 North will be open to local traffic only in the work area, according to Project Manager Nate Dwyer of Ligonier Construction, the company contracted to do the work.

School buses will have access from Pleasant Hill Road to Weinels and up to the 1400 block of Route 356, where the buses will have to turn around.

Phase Two

Piper and Williams roads will be closed at Route 356. The highway pavement will be removed and replaced. A school bus turnaround at the entrance to the fill site has been proposed to Smith Bus Lines. Buses will not be able to turn around on Williams Road near the construction site according to Dwyer.

Indian Hill Road will be open to local traffic only, according to a Google Map sent to the Allegheny Township supervisors.

Phase Three

Route 356 from Indian Hill Road to White Cloud Road will be the final leg of the project.

Allegheny Township Volunteer Fire Company will provide coverage to its service area despite the project passing by its headquarters.

“We are making plans and want to assure everyone we will work around (the project),” said Bill Cogley, treasurer of the fire department.

Buses will have access to and from Bagdad, Garvers Ferry, Armstrong and Indian Hill roads to and from Route 356.

Dwyer said he anticipates Route 356 will be closed from Armstrong Road to Fire Hall Road from Sept. 13 to Nov. 1.

Route 356 will be open to local traffic only at White Cloud Road. Detours will be posted throughout the project.