Step one in the replacement of the Commercial Street Bridge on the side of the Squirrel Hill Tunnel on the Parkway East has been completed.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced Friday that the inbound Wilkinsburg ramp has been reopened. The ramp had been closed since July 22 so crews could lower the ramp and create more space for taller trucks to pass under the highway.
The ramp work is just the beginning of the $95 million project by Fay S&B USA to replace the bridge. That ramp will serve as a primary detour route for trucks when the bridge is closed for 25 days in July 2026.
Plans call for building the new bridge on temporary piers in Frick Park just south of the existing structure. When it is finished, crews will demolish the old bridge and slide the new one into place.
Ed covers transportation at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at eblazina@unionprogress.com.