Beams placed for new Route 51 bridge over I-70 in Rostraver
The area’s first significant snowfall of the season Tuesday didn’t stop progress on reconstruction of the Route 51 interchange on Interstate 70.
On Tuesday night, crews from contractors Golden Triangle and JC Lee set in place beams for a new bridge that will carry Route 51 over the interstate in Rostraver.
According to PennDOT, traffic passing below on the interstate was subject to rolling single-lane restrictions as the beams, each 130 feet long and weighing about 36 tons, were lowered into place. Two cranes unloaded the beams from tractor-trailers staged along northbound Route 51, which also was restricted to a single lane of traffic.
The existing Route 51 bridge remains open to traffic while work is underway on the portion of the new bridge that will carry southbound traffic over the interstate. Construction will occur later on the northbound lanes of the new bridge.
The existing bridge underwent emergency repairs after it was struck by an over-height vehicle in December 2021.
The new bridge is part of a nearly $121 million project that will reformat the Route 51 interchange from a cloverleaf design to a diverging diamond pattern.
The revamped interchange will have lanes of traffic on Route 51 switching to the opposite side of the road and back again, through signalized intersections. That will allow drivers to turn left onto I-70 without crossing oncoming traffic.
The project also includes widening of lanes over a 1.7-mile stretch of I-70, to match adjoining sections of the interstate to the east and west. A one-mile segment of Route 51 also will be reconstructed and widened.
Other aspects of the project include relocating Finley Road to form a four-way intersection with routes 981 and 51 and creating a new left-turn lane on Route 51 at Ridge Road.
The project is expected to be completed in October 2027.
Visit i-70projects.com for more information about improvements that are completed or planned on I-70 in Westmoreland and Washington counties.
Jeff Himler is a TribLive reporter covering Greater Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Pleasant Area and Derry Area school districts and their communities. He also reports on transportation issues. A journalist for more than three decades, he enjoys delving into local history. He can be reached at jhimler@triblive.com.
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