Parkway East Commercial Street Bridge reopens Monday evening, officials confirm
PITTSBURGH —
The Parkway East Commercial Street Bridge will reopen Monday evening, PennDOT officials confirmed to Pittsburgh’s Action News 4.
The news from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation puts the opening date for the bridge ahead of schedule by more than a week.
Officials will hold a press conference with more information on Monday.
The exact time of the reopening has not been released. Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 will carry the press conference live when it begins Monday afternoon.
Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 reporter Felicity Taylor spoke to residents who said they were shocked but excited that the road will open so soon.
“I’ve never seen anything like it. You know, the notion of building a bridge next to an existing bridge, blowing one up and sliding one over as quickly as they did it,” Paul Diegelman from Squirrell Hill said.
Timelapse of the bridge being slid into place below:
Officials expected the bridge to be finished ahead of schedule. On Wednesday, PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll said the Parkway East was anticipated to reopen during the middle of the week but Carroll said officials were striving for sooner.
The closure of the Parkway East was originally scheduled to continue through Aug. 3, but workers have been going 24 hours a day and the weather has largely cooperated.
Watch the bridge being demolished below:
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