Part of Route 356 reopens in Allegheny Township

Portions of Route 356 reopened to motorists Tuesday evening in Allegheny Township.

Allegheny Township Supervisor Jamie Morabito confirmed the reopening about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. The road is open in both directions.

He said the road will remain open until PennDOT resumes construction in the spring. It’s estimated the road will close again for the project’s third phase around April 3.

There will be minimal intermittent lane closures over the winter, said PennDOT press officer Melissa Maczko.

About 11,000 motorists use Route 356 daily.

Maczko said the project is two-thirds complete.

Work is expected to be completed in November of next year.

No overnight closures are expected until April, but operations might include bulk excavation tocut back the roadside slopes, overhead utility line transfers and culvert box placements near Garvers Ferry Road.

The large scale project encompasses areas from the Weinels Crossroads section of the township to the area near the corner of Route 356 and White Cloud Road.

Motorists had been using a detour on White Cloud Road that connects with Route 56 near the Bonfire Restaurant.

Ligonier Construction crews have completed bulk excavations, drainage improvements and the installation of a stormwater management pond on the segment between Armstrong and Fire Hall roads.

Truck restrictions remain in effect for trucks weighing more than 10 tons.

“I know everyone in Allegheny Township could not be happier with 356 reopening,” Morabito said. “I would like to caution everyone with the reopening from Freeport to Allegheny Township there will be a strong presence of speed monitoring on the highway. Route 356 is not completed yet.”

Allegheny Township police Chief Duane Fisher confirmed Morabito’s warning, adding that motorists tend to drive faster any time a roadway and line of sight is improved.

“They’ve also eliminated any passing zones on that section. It’s no longer permitted,” Fisher said.

The speed limit along that stretch of Route 356 is 45 mph.

Dave Krzeminski, who lives on White Cloud Road, said the monthslong detour wreaked havoc on the area’s rural landscape.

“I’m happy it’s reopened. There was a lot of speeding, wrecks, 18-wheelers, and our entire row of mailboxes was taken out by a large truck,” Krzeminski said. “We’ll enjoy the reprieve, and it will be easier again to get out of our driveway.”

The work completed so far is part of a $15.9 million PennDOT project that started in 2020 to improve the highway and provide a connector to the Route 28 Expressway near Freeport.

Additional road improvements include realigning the road to remove steep hills and reconstruction of the road base.

In April, the final phase of the project will involve the placement of two culvert boxes near Garvers Ferry Road and Route 356 and roadway improvements from the Allegheny Township fire hall to White Cloud Road.