Hempfield's North Greengate Road set for repaving at rail underpass; PennDOT lists detours

A section of North Greengate Road in Hempfield is set to close to traffic Tuesday while PennDOT crews repave a pothole-dotted area at the intersection of Radebaugh Road and under a nearby railroad bridge.

The project and the closure are expected to continue through Friday, depending on weather conditions. Detours will be in place for both roads.

Motorists and nearby businesses have complained about the worsening state of potholes at the railroad underpass, noting drivers have to swerve to avoid them.

According to PennDOT, crews will mill and repave North Greengate through the underpass and extending for about 250 feet to the north and 150 feet to the south.

PennDOT also is planning to improve drainage at the site. Workers will flush sediment from storm inlet boxes and will replace aging inlet grates.

During the project, motorists won’t be able to turn from Radebaugh onto North Greengate, but they will be able to access several businesses at the intersection, PennDOT said.

Access also will be maintained to businesses just south of the underpass — including Fresenius Kidney Care dialysis center, Aroma Joe’s and the rear entrance to the Greengate Center and Greengate East shopping plazas.

Many drivers use North Greengate Road to travel between Route 30, which is south of the railroad underpass, and Route 130, which is north of the underpass.

During the North Greengate closure, PennDOT is listing the following detours:

• From Route 30, drivers can turn north onto Agnew Road, following Lewis, Chambers and Brown avenues through the village of Grapeville to reach Route 130.

• From Route 130, they can follow those roads in reverse order to get to Route 30.

• The affected section of Radebaugh Road intersects at its west end with Brown Avenue, which provides access to either Route 30 or Route 130 through the above noted detours.

The paving and drainage work is separate from a PennDOT proposal to revamp the roadway at the railroad underpass, reducing sharp curves.

According to PennDOT, that effort could be years away. It would be done in conjunction with replacement of the rail bridge over North Greengate, which carries Norfolk Southern’s mainline tracks between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg.

A goal of that project is to increase the low clearance of just 10 feet, 1 inch for traffic underneath the rail bridge.

It’s a spot where rental trucks and tractor-trailers often get stuck or are forced to turn around.