Infamous Squirrel Hill bottleneck to be rebuilt
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Rendering of the proposed redesign that should help lower Squirrel Hill tunnel traffic. Image: Courtesy PennDOT
One of Pittsburgh's most stressful and traffic-filled interchanges is getting an upgrade.
Why it matters: More than 100,000 vehicles drive through the interchange in front of the Squirrel Hill Tunnel each day. Drivers have to suffer through on- and off-ramps close to the tunnel entrance causing panic-inducing lane switching and crashes.
🚘 Driving the news: PennDOT announced this week the preferred redesign for the Parkway East (I-376) interchange, which will take three years to complete once started.
- Construction is not slated to start until 2029.
The details: The eastbound on-ramp will be moved back, providing more room to merge prior to the tunnel.
- The eastbound off-ramp weave will be eliminated because the ramp will be extended, starting west of the Greenfield Bridge, passing under the new eastbound on-ramp, and ending at a traffic light at Beechwood Boulevard.
- The westbound off-ramp exit will be moved farther from the end of the tunnel and will have a new bridge built over the Parkway.
🚲 Beechwood Boulevard will get a separate local lane for nearby residences (with a new bike path) and a roundabout will be added to the Monitor Street-Beechwood intersection.
- A new bike/pedestrian shared path will replace the sidewalk along Forward Avenue and extend to a connecting path to Saline Street.
- PRT will also relocate several bus stops to safer locations in the area, said PennDOT.
What they're saying: "The improvements included in the project aim to provide safer pedestrian crossings and safer access to proposed shared use paths," according to a press release. "They also result in more reliable travel times through the roadway network."
What's next: Minor changes to the final design will continue throughout the preliminary engineering process, and PennDOT will hold public meetings in the future.
- The public is encouraged to provide feedback via this online comment form.