PennDOT District 11 is announcing preservation work on the New Kensington Bridge which carries Route 1038 over the Allegheny River in East Deer Township in Allegheny County and the City of New Kensington in Westmoreland County will resume tomorrow, Tuesday, March 5 weather permitting.
A long-term traffic shift will begin at approximately 7 a.m. Tuesday on the New Kensington Bridge to allow structure painting, fence replacement, and sidewalk repair work to occur. Two 10-foot wide lanes will be maintained on the bridge.
Single-lane alternating traffic will occur daily on the New Kensington Bridge from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. through late 2024 for bridge preservation work. Additionally, traffic stoppages of 10 minutes or less will occur as needed.
Truck traffic will be detoured during this phase of work.
Posted Truck Detours
North of the Closure
- Take Freeport Road (Route 1001) northbound
- Freeport Road becomes West 7th Avenue (Route 1001)
- Turn right onto Route 366 and cross the Tarentum Bridge
- Continue straight on Route 366 toward New Kensington onto Stevenson Boulevard
- Turn right onto Seventh Street (Route 56)
- Turn right onto Industrial Boulevard (Truck Route 56)
- Follow Industrial Boulevard back to the New Kensington Bridge
- End detour
South of the Closure
- From the New Kensington Bridge, take Industrial Boulevard (Truck Route 56) eastbound
- Turn left onto Seventh Street (Route 56)
- Turn left onto Stevenson Boulevard (Route 366)
- Bear right toward Route 366 Tarentum onto Tarentum Bridge Road
- Cross the Tarentum Bridge
- Turn left onto East 7th Avenue (Route 1001)
- East 7th Avenue becomes West 7th Avenue (Route 1001)
- West 7th Avenue becomes Freeport Road (Route 1001)
- Follow Freeport Road southbound back to the New Kensington Bridge
- End detour
Please allow extra time if you travel via the bridge.
This $24.59 million New Kensington / C.L. Schmitt Bridge preservation projects began in March 2023. The bridge, which spans both East Deer Township, Allegheny County and the City of New Kensington, Westmoreland County will undergo a latex overlay, several structural steel repairs, concrete substructure repairs, full painting of the existing superstructure, expansion dam replacement, installation of new light poles and luminaries, and minor approach roadway work. As work occurs this year, motorists can expect a lane width reduction along with flagging operations within the work zone. A six-week full closure and detour is anticipated to occur on the bridge as crews perform the latex overlay and structural steel repairs located at the expansion dams. The overall completion date is expected to be in late 2024.
Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras.
511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional X alerts accessible on the 511PA website.