Traffic tie-ups frustrate area motorists
Motorists traveling Interstate 70 eastbound and Interstate 79 southbound near Washington found long backups Tuesday as PennDOT worked around the Murtland Avenue interchange. Eastbound traffic to the west of Washington was backed up at times to the Taylorstown exit, and traffic on Interstate 79 southbound was beyond the Racetrack Road exit.
Motorists traveling Interstate 70 eastbound and Interstate 79 southbound near Washington found long backups Tuesday as PennDOT worked around the Murtland Avenue interchange. Eastbound traffic to the west of Washington was backed up at times to the Taylorstown exit, and traffic on Interstate 79 southbound was beyond the Racetrack Road exit.
Getting in and around Washington on Wednesday proved as frustrating for drivers as did their travels Monday.
The difference was that the state Department of Transportation planned Monday’s lane closures on Interstates 70/79 between the north and south junctions so crews could paint lines in preparation for upcoming traffic pattern changes.
The closure of an eastbound lane Wednesday was to make emergency repairs of large potholes that developed in the area, particularly on the bridge that takes the highway over Murtland Avenue.
“We had received reports of vehicles being damaged when they hit the holes,” said Scott Faieta, PennDOT assistant construction engineer. “The asphalt plants were open Wednesday, so we made the repairs and fixed some other areas where it looked like problems could develop.”
PennDOT started preliminary work in the area on construction of a diverging diamond interchange that will be replace the cloverleaf at the Murtland interchange. A third lane also will be added in each direction between the two junctions.
State police Trooper Matthew Jardine said there was a nine-mile backup on I-79 southbound and about a five-mile backlog on I-70. But unlike Monday, no crashes were reported.
South Strabane Township police Chief Don Zofchak said that not only was traffic horrendous on the highway, but also on local roads such as Route 19, Locust Avenue and West Chestnut Street in Washington. He said problems also were reported on Pike Street in Chartiers Township.
“It is an inconvenience, and you are going to get some bumps in the road,” Zofchak said. “But PennDOT does try to do the closures at night.”
“But people get antsy,” he added, “and that causes concern for safety.”
Faieta said that no other daylight closures are planned. Traffic will be reduced to one lane in that area between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. nightly during the week.
Work on the $57 million project is expected to be completed by 2017.