Community Corner

Westbound Squirrel Hill Tunnel Closure this Weekend Aug. 3-6

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The westbound (inbound) Squirrel Hill Tunnel on the Parkway East (I-376) in will be closed this weekend, Aug. 3 through 6.

The westbound closure will occur from 9 p.m. on Friday through 5 a.m. on Monday. Signs will be posted to guide motorists. The posted detour will require westbound traffic to form a single lane exiting at the Edgewood Swissvale interchange (Exit 77). Significant delays should be expected.

The outbound (eastbound) tunnel will remain open, although short-term traffic stoppages may occur for equipment access and material removal.  

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In addition to other rehabilitation work and multiple improvement activities, crews will continue removing the drop-ceiling and concrete patching the roadway inside the westbound tunnel. When overall work is completed, vertical clearance in the westbound tunnel will increase by two feet from 13 feet, 6 inches to 15 feet, 6 inches. Preservation and rehabilitation work will also continue on the bridge that carries westbound I-376 over Commercial Street. 

To minimize impacts on businesses, which will remain open, different detours are being used during day and night hours (see attached maps). PennDOT has made improvements at key intersections and police will be posted to keep traffic moving on the posted detours. Based on feedback from last weekend’s closure, additional detour and merge signage and traffic control officers will be added this weekend. 

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Daylight detour (6 a.m. to 8 p.m.) 

  • Exit at Edgewood Swissvale (Exit 77)
  • Make right onto South Braddock Avenue
  • Left onto Forbes Avenue
  • Left onto Beechwood Boulevard
  • Right onto Forward Avenue
  • Access ramp to westbound I-376

Night detour (8 p.m. to 6 a.m.)

  • Exit at Edgewood Swissvale (Exit 77)
  • Make right onto South Braddock Avenue
  • Left onto Forbes Avenue
  • Left onto Murray Avenue
  • Bear right onto Forward Avenue
  • Access ramp to westbound I-376

Significant delays should be expected. Please allow extra time when traveling through the area and consider alternate routes.

Suggested alternate detour (if westbound Parkway East is congested)

  • Exit onto northbound Route 8/Ardmore Boulevard at Wilkinsburg Interchange (Exit 78)
  • Continue north on Penn Avenue
  • Make left onto Braddock Avenue
  • Make right onto Forbes Avenue
  • From Forbes Avenue, follow detours provided above.

PennDOT also suggests taking the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Monroeville to the I-79 interchange and following I-79 south to the Parkway North (I-279) to Pittsburgh. Travelers from the east may also consider using westbound I-70 to northbound I-79 to the eastbound (inbound) Parkway West (I-376).         

The $49.5 million project to rehabilitate the Squirrel Hill Tunnel includes updating electrical, lighting, air control and ventilation systems, structural repairs to the walls and arched ceiling, tile repairs, installation of a water line and other improvements. To minimize impacts on the traveling public, rehabilitation work on the bridge that carries the Parkway East over Commercial Street will be performed as part of the tunnel project. Expansion dam on ramps at the Edgewood Swissvale interchange (Exit 77) will also be replaced.

Visit 511pa.com or call 511 from any phone to check traffic conditions on major roadways before traveling. 

Get construction updates and traffic advisories from PennDOT by sending email addresses to jstruzzi@pa.gov. Please type “Subscribe-Parkway East” in the subject line.


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