Route 217 bridge rehab will trigger detour in Derry Township
A section of Route 217 in Derry Township will be closed to traffic beginning Monday while work is underway to rehabilitate a bridge that carries the road over McGee Run.
The closure, between Ankney Road and Hillside Road/Old Route 217, is expected to continue through July 3, depending on weather.
The official detour will take drivers north on Route 217 to Blairsville, then west on Route 22 and south on Route 982, turning onto Chestnut Street to return to Route 217 in Derry Borough. Local motorists driving passenger vehicles may find side roads that offer alternate routes.
Contractor Gulisek Construction will overlay the bridge deck surface with latex-modified concrete, repair the substructure and install a foundation drain. Crews also will mill the approaching roadway and top it with an asphalt overlay.
The work is part of a regional $3.13 million effort to preserve bridge decks on five roads, including two in Washington County and two others in Westmoreland County: Route 119 over the Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad and Thermo Village Road in Hempfield, and Route 993 (Irwin Trafford Road) over Brush Creek in North Huntingdon.
Other roadwork
Meanwhile, PennDOT is planning the following work on roads in Westmoreland County during the week beginning Monday, weather permitting:
• A pipe replacement is scheduled in Hempfield on the outskirts of Jeannette, closing a section of Penn-Adamsburg Road between Gratz Street and Julie Dean Lane. Traffic is being rerouted along Penn High Park Road, Baughman Avenue, Park Street, Pennsylvania Boulevard, Route 30 and Edna Road.
• Additional pipe replacements will take place on Arona Road in Hempfield and Youngstown Ridge Road in Unity.
• Paving will take place on Route 981 in Unity.
• Edge paving will take place on Hawkeye Road and Water Street in East Huntingdon.
• Pipe installation will take place on Route 982 (Kecksburg Road) in Mt. Pleasant Township and Laughner Road in Fairfield.
• Pipe maintenance and flushing will take place on Kinsey Farm Road in Ligonier Township.
• Drainage repair will take place on Charles Houck Road in Unity.
• Shoulder cutting will take place on various routes in North Huntingdon.
Crews will pick up litter, replace road signs and perform other tasks on various routes countywide.
Motorists should anticipate potential detours, lane restrictions and flaggers in work areas.
Residents can call PennDOT toll-free at 800-349-7623 to report road maintenance concerns and the locations of dead deer on state highways.
Jeff Himler is a TribLive reporter covering Greater Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Pleasant Area and Derry Area school districts and their communities. He also reports on transportation issues. A journalist for more than three decades, he enjoys delving into local history. He can be reached at jhimler@triblive.com.
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