PennDOT to make adjustments to I-79 crossover lane after accidents cause closure

North Hills motorists will be stuck using a single lane of traffic on southbound Interstate 79 through Thursday while crews make adjustments to the crossover lane that had to be closed after a series of accidents.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation had created a crossover Saturday for an express southbound lane to operate on the northbound side of the highway through November so crews can rehabilitate four bridges between the Red Mud Hollow Road overpass and Neville Island Bridge. But the crossover was closed Monday evening after a series of traffic accidents.

The accidents apparently occurred when drivers made late decisions on whether to use the express lane by crossing over or staying on the regular southbound lane. That lane allows motorists to exit at Mt. Nebo Road and Route 65 (Ohio River Boulevard), which the express lane bypasses.

Jason Zang, PennDOT’s acting district executive for Allegheny, Beaver and Lawrence counties, said it will take through Thursday to make safety improvements to the area. Crews will add more signs informing drivers they have to make a decision on which lane to take, lower the speed limit to 45 miles an hour and have state police monitor the area as often as possible to to enforce that limit.

“We have a lot of signs out there, but people aren’t paying attention to them,” Zang said. “That decision [on which lane to take] is being made too late.”

Crews also will extend painted lines on the road surface to make drivers aware of the lane split sooner.

Until then, motorists can expect very slow traffic on the single southbound lane.
“We encourage drivers to take any alternate routes that they can,” said PennDOT spokesman Steve Cowan. “We also need the public to do its part to slow down and not drive distracted.”

The bridge work is part of a $26.5 million project that also included repaving the road surface and replacing guide rails and signs. Once the southbound crossover is finished, a similar crossover will put northbound traffic on the southbound side of the highway.