Parkway East's terrible traffic will reach historic levels this summer, and there's no way to avoid it.

The big picture: PennDOT is replacing the aging Commercial Street Bridge over Nine Mile Run on the Parkway East (Interstate 376), hoping to shore up one of the most traveled corridors in the region.

• It carries about 100,000 vehicles daily, per PennDOT.

All Parkway traffic between the Wilkinsburg exit (78B) and the Forbes Avenue/Oakland exit (72A) will be closed from July 10 to Aug. 3 while crews work around the clock.

• That's 25 days, if all goes according to plan.

Zoom in: Commercial Street and Nine Mile Run under the bridge will also be closed in preparation for and during the project. They will reopen sometime after the bridge replacement is complete.

Detours: Inbound Parkway traffic will exit at Wilkinsburg, travel along Penn Avenue to Fifth Avenue, and then re-enter the Parkway at the Forbes/Oakland entrance.

• Outbound traffic will do the reverse, using Forbes Avenue and then getting on Fifth using Bellefield Avenue.

What they're saying: Congestion is going to be bad, and PennDOT officials recently told KDKA that those 25 days in the summer would be a good time to plan a vacation away from the Steel City.

Yes, but: PennDOT also suggests three alternate routes to avoid gridlock.

• Take the Turnpike west and then take I-79 south to I-376 in Robinson.
• Take the Turnpike west and then take Route 28 south to Downtown.
• Take Route 48 west, connect to Route 148 in McKeesport, and head up through Dravosburg and West Mifflin to reach the South Hills.

Zoom out: On the other side of the Squirrel Hill Tunnel, the Parkway East will see a redesign to help simplify a complicated interchange, but that work won't begin until 2029.

The bottom line

The Iran war is already hitting Pittsburghers' wallets.

The big picture: Oil prices, then gas prices, spiked following the U.S. and Israel's strikes on Iran.

• The national average price of unleaded gas hit $3.19 a gallon yesterday, up from $2.97 last week, per AAA.

Zoom in: The average price of gas in Pennsylvania was $3.29 a gallon, up 17 cents from a week ago.

• Pittsburgh-area gas prices rose 17 cents to $3.42.

Between the lines: Gas stations can change prices multiple times a week. Operating on thin margins, they typically price based on what their next fuel shipment will cost — not what they paid for what's already in their tanks.

Zoom out: The oil price spike will also lead to increases in diesel, jet fuel, heating oil and natural gas prices, likely increasing the cost of shipping, airline tickets and home heating.

• There could be ripple effects on prices for goods ranging from cookware to fertilizer.

What we're watching: Tom Kloza, a longtime oil analyst now working for Gulf Oil, tells Axios he expects the national average price to reach a high of $3.25 to $3.50 in the coming weeks.

The bottom line: Prices were already on the rise as gas stations prep for the annual switch from winter-blend gasoline to more expensive summer fuel, Kloza says.

💭 Chrissy's thought bubble: Some people hunt down the cheapest gas using apps like GasBuddy, but I tend to run on fumes and scramble into the nearest GetGo or Sheetz.

Hit reply and tell us how you save at the pump!

Go deeper

✈️ U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick told Pennsylvanians in the Middle East that the State Department is arranging charter flights from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Jordan to help American citizens leave as the Iran war snarls global air travel.

• Pennsylvanians are advised to call 1-202-501-4444 to request immediate assistance and enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program for alerts. (Axios)

🏊 The city's only indoor public pool, the historic Oliver Bath House, will reopen on the South Side this Saturday after years of renovations. (WESA)

🪖 The Pentagon is canceling senior service college fellowships at Carnegie Mellon and 21 other schools. Five military students at CMU will be affected, per a memo. (Post-Gazette)

Friday

Start dreaming up your spring home improvements at the Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show through March 15 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

• 📍1000 Fort Duquesne Blvd., Downtown
• ⏰ Times vary
• 💰$11

Saturday

Hit up the St. Practice Day Pierogi Contest & Charity Crawl's 25th year on the South Side. $1 pierogies at participating locations!

• 📍Multiple locations
• ⏰ 1pm-7pm
• 💰$23

Get on a higher level with the vertically inclined at the Tall Person Mixer.

• 📍Shorty's Pins x Pints, 353 North Shore Drive
• ⏰ 6pm-9pm
• 💰$28.50

Sunday

See Stardew Valley: Symphony of Seasons live at the Benedum Center, with a 35-piece orchestra performing music from the comfy farming game.

• 📍237 7th St., Cultural District
• ⏰ 7pm
• 💰$125+

👟 The Pittsburgh Riverhounds soccer club kicks off its championship defense this weekend.

🏆 Why it matters: The Hounds won their first USL Championship league title last fall, which was also the first professional sports championship for Pittsburgh since 2017.

🏟️ Driving the news: The Riverhounds are scheduled to travel to South Carolina to face Charleston Battery on Saturday at 6pm.

⚠️ Yes, but: USL players and the league are still in contract negotiations, and players could go on strike if an agreement isn't reached by Friday, per The Athletic.

📺 How to watch: Saturday's match will air locally on KDKA+ (channel 19) and stream on CBS Sports Golazo.