After previously postponing, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will move forward this week with work that will shift northbound lanes of Interstate 79 to the southbound side of the highway.

Starting at 7 p.m. Thursday, single-lane restrictions and traffic stoppages will occur to prepare for the left lane of northbound traffic crossing over into one of the southbound lanes between the Neville Island Bridge and the Kilbuck Street on-ramp.

The new traffic pattern will be in effect by 6 a.m. Friday and last until late November, according to PennDOT spokesman Steve Cowan.

A barrier will separate the northbound and southbound lanes at the crossover location, and various emergency pull-off areas will be designated throughout the work zone.

The crossover lane will be an express lane, meaning motorists will not have access to any exits, particularly the Mount Nebo Road exit (Exit 68).

Access to the Mount Nebo Road exit can be reached from the right lane of the northbound side, which will remain in place.

Traffic in that lane will shift slightly at the Glenfield Road and Red Mud Hollow Road bridges so that crews can begin a half width deck replacement, according to PennDOT.

The shift is part of a $26.5 million project to allow crews to start bridge deck replacement work in Glenfield, Sewickley Hills, Franklin Park, Kilbuck, Ohio Township and Aleppo.

The project also includes milling and resurfacing, preservation work on sign structures and guide rail improvements among other interstate improvements.

The work was originally scheduled to start March 4, but was postponed for unknown reasons.

The Parkway North will also see a brief disruption to its traffic flow this week. From 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Wednesday through Friday, a southbound lane restriction will be in place at the I-79 northbound bridge which runs over the parkway.

This restriction is for crews to install shielding for later bridge painting.

First Published: March 15, 2022, 8:43 p.m.