Coal Valley Road expected to reopen this week
It was shut down for a road and slope reconstruction project.
Construction for the Mon/Fayette Expressway’s Section 53A1 and Section 53A2 continues this month as Coal Valley Road is scheduled to be open again this week.
According to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission’s Aug. 4 update, Coal Valley Road was closed for up to two months for road and slope reconstruction and is set to open “later in the week Aug. 4.” Traffic deliveries will continue on State Route 885 Clairton Road.
This work is included in Section 53A1, which begins where the current expressway ends at PA Route 51 in Jefferson Hills and stretches approximately three miles north of Coal Valley Road. It has undergone work since March of 2023.
The nearly $214 million contract requires Trumbull Corp. to excavate more than four million cubic yards of earth and build six bridges. The remaining construction sections will go through the bidding process and begin construction as bids are awarded.
Just as they did last month, Route 43 southbound drivers will be using the southbound ramp and northbound drivers will cross over to the southbound side to Jefferson Boulevard.
Jefferson Boulevard and Route 51 have a new traffic pattern implemented until the northbound off ramp is reopened. Brickyard Road will still have traffic restrictions during working hours.
The bridge over Brickyard Road’s concrete bridge deck placements on the northbound bridge is completed. The southbound bridge deck and parapets have been completed, while maintenance repairs on the existing northbound ramp bridge have caused it to close.
The majority of other bridge work has been completed with the bridge over Coal Valley Road having deck forms, overhang work and rebar installation underway.
Section 53A1 is expected to be finished in the fall of 2026, and Section 53A2 is to be finished in the summer of 2027, according to the PA Turnpike’s website.
The standard work shift is 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays.
Friday and Saturday shifts are used when needed.
Also in Section 53A1:
• Peters Creek Road’s asphalt pavement is completed.
• Pitt McKeesport Boulevard has utility relocation work is ongoing for future projects.
• Trespassing on construction sites is prohibited. No pedestrians, ATVs or motorcycles should be entering these areas.
In Section 53A2:
• New England Road has been closed since July 14 for crane placement and steel erection for approximately two months, according to the release. The detours include taking SR 837 to SR 885.
• Lower Camp Hollow Road is open to traffic. Construction traffic will continue crossing utilizing flaggers while bridge construction is underway and this section of Lower Camp Hollow Road will be closed in the future to continue the rock slope work.
• On Upper Camp Hollow, northbound traffic moved to a new alignment. Southbound traffic will be switched to new alignment through roundabouts and over new bridges. The Turnpike Commission recommended everyone to follow traffic signs in this area.
• Lebanon Manor/Beverly Drive will need to use connection with old Camp Hollow for access to/from New Camp Hollow Alignment.
• Blasting will continue south of Maxim Yard between Camp Hollow and New England Roads and north of Camp Hollow Road.
For all blasts, five minutes prior to blasting the contractor will give three horn alerts of 15 seconds each. One minute prior to blasting, three horn alerts of 10 seconds will be sounded. 30 seconds prior to blasting, a series of short horn alerts will be sounded up to the time of detonation.
After the blast, the area will be checked, and a horn will be sounded for 15 seconds to indicate “all is clear.” Additional air horns have been added to help notifications.
There is also bridge work, soundwall and ramp work being done in these areas. The standard work shift in this section is 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays. Friday and Saturday shifts will be used as needed.
More updates on the construction can be found on the PA Turnpike Commission’s website every week at www. paturnpike.com.
