Motorists stuck in traffic
Drivers traveling east on Interstate 70 found themselves making a decision early Thursday as they approached the north junction with Interstate 79 – stay in the right lane so they could get off at the Murtland Avenue or East Beau Street exits or get in the left lane and cross over to the westbound side of the highway to continue east.
Work began at 8 p.m. Wednesday with the removal of existing lines and painting new ones to reflect the new traffic pattern, along with barriers being set as part of the project to construct a diverging diamond interchange at Murtland Avenue in South Strabane Township.
“We did switch traffic as planned with the left eastbound lane moved to the west side of the highway and the right lane continuing on the existing eastbound side. It was uneventful,” said Eric Klimas, project manager for Golden Triangle, the general contractor for the $54 million project, adding the switch happened about 12:30 a.m. Thursday. “The left through lane on the eastbound side will be in effect from now through Thanksgiving.”
Traffic on I-79 southbound was backed past the Meadow Lands exit as of about 9 a.m. Thursday, said Lt. Douglas Bartoe, patrol section supervisor for Troop B headquartered in Washington. Drivers planning to go east on I-70 from southbound I-79 have to get in the right eastbound lane when they merge onto the highway. The backlog on I-79 continued throughout the day.
“But the eastbound backlog was not as bad as we thought it would be,” Bartoe said. “There were no crashes, but there were a few channelizers knocked down.
“We did issue citations for drivers who were cutting through the median after realizing they had missed the ramps to get off the interstate. We made some adjustments and will continue to monitor the traffic.”
Eastbound drivers using the right lane so they can get off the highway can expect more changes.
Starting about 8 p.m. Wednesday, weather permitting, crews will start preparing for a crossover just west of the bridge that takes the highway over Route 19. Traffic on the right lane will have the option of either getting off at Murtland or taking the crossover to the bridge on the westbound side to continue east before crossing back onto the existing right lane just before the East Beau exit ramp.
Klimas said that change is being made so work can begin to demolish the span that takes the eastbound side of I-70 over Route 19.
“Drivers will still be able to get where they want to go,” Klimas said. “They can get off at Murtland before the switch or off at Beau after it crosses back. But the drivers in the left lane will still have to continue through.”
Klimas said he hopes to have that switch complete by 6 a.m. Thursday. Work will be delayed if it is raining because the paint used for the lines will not adhere during wet weather.
Work to demolish the bridge will start with removal of the girders later this month or in early August. Klimas said there will be intermittent nighttime closures when the girders are removed.
There also will be a change in the traffic pattern on Route 19 under the highway when the southbound lanes are switched to the middle two lanes that are currently being repaved. Klimas said the one set of temporary signals not being used in the current pattern will be reactivated.