86-mile stretch of Pa. Turnpike to close this weekend for bridge project
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The Pennsylvania Turnpike is scheduled to close in both directions for several hours this weekend between New Stanton and Breezewood.
Turnpike officials said the closure will begin at 11 p.m. Saturday and reopen to traffic by 6 a.m. Sunday as part of a bridge removal project.
The closure is necessary for crews to remove the Country Ridge Road bridge, which carries traffic over the turnpike at milepost 144.8 in Bedford County. The closure is weather permitting.
Turnpike spokesperson Renee Vid Colburn said blasting will be used to remove the bridge. Those living in the area have been notified but should expect to hear the blast overnight, Colburn said.
During this closure, traffic will be permitted to enter at Bedford and travel east and also be able to enter at Somerset and Donegal to travel west.
Motorists using the eastbound detour will exit at New Stanton Interchange, follow Toll Route 66 Business North for two-10ths of a mile and enter Toll Route 66 North for 14.2 miles. Motorists will then enter Route 22 East for 63.7 miles, follow Interstate 99 South for 30.4 miles to Route 30 east for 18 miles and enter the turnpike at the Breezewood Interchange.
Motorists using the westbound detour will exit at Breezewood and follow Route 30 West for 18.7 miles and enter Interstate 99 North for 30.1 miles. Motorists will then take Route 22 West for 64.5 miles, take Toll Route 66 South for 13.9 miles and reenter the turnpike in New Stanton.
Colburn said the new bridge will be a two-span, composite steel plate girder beam bridge. It also includes reconstruction of Country Ridge Road in the area of the bridge replacement project, replacement of turnpike’s median barrier and resurfacing the existing turnpike’s mainline roadway.
This $3.2 million construction project began in February.