A tunnel closure in Indiana Township and a high-profile country music concert in West Deer could create a traffic nightmare Friday.
The 130-year-old Rural Ridge Tunnel on Little Deer Creek Valley Road is scheduled to close at 7 a.m. Friday for five weeks of repairs.
On Friday night, former Florida Georgia Line frontman Brian Kelley will draw a crowd of up to 5,300 people at No Offseason Sports’ outdoor concert stage, about two miles down the road.
Motorists are going to have to pack their patience.
“Our officers will monitor it, but it’s one of those inconveniences that’s worth having for what’s happening,” Indiana Township police Chief Steve Colucci said.
The closure impacts the stretch of Little Deer Creek between Crawford Run and Marshall Hill roads.
A suggested detour will take people onto Creighton-Russellton Road, right onto Russellton Airport Road, which becomes Butler-Logan Road, then onto Crawford Run Road.
Jen Borczyk, administrative assistant for the West Deer police, said she doesn’t foresee too much inconvenience for concert-goers so long as everyone follows the posted signs.
“We always say to add a little extra time, but I don’t think it should cause too much trouble,” she said. “That detour, itself, probably takes an extra five minutes or so.”
Colucci said people might find that traffic runs more smoothly on the alternate route to the venue.
“When the tunnel is open, they have to stop and beep and make sure no one is coming,” he said.
“If there’s any issues, our officers will be there to assist.”
The 130-year-old tunnel owned by the Canadian National Railway is deteriorated with cracked concrete and water dripping from the roof.
“The railroad is doing what they need to do because we’ve been on them to get it fixed, and I’m glad,” Colucci said.
Nearly 1,000 motorists use the tunnel on an average day.
Friday’s concert starts at 6:30 p.m. Kelley is a big draw, having had 19 No. 1 songs with Florida Georgia Line.
The show was organized by a Harrison teen, Kaley Bastine, as a fundraiser to help Tarentum police start a K-9 unit.
Tickets can be purchased at nooffseasonentertainment.com.
