Pittsburgh’s Commercial Street Bridge, which spans most of the Parkway East between the Squirrel Hill Tunnel and the Edgewood/Swissvale exit, will soon undergo a $95 million replacement.
“This is one of the most complex and important project investments in the western Pennsylvania area, specifically the city of Pittsburgh,” according to Jason Zang, district executive of PennDOT district 11, which includes the city of Pittsburgh.
That means over the next three years, drivers traveling through the eastern part of the city will have to contend with closed shoulders or single-lane traffic, overnight road closures, and general road work along the proposed detour routes. In July 2026, that stretch of I-376 will close for about 25 days.
It’s all a part of the plan PennDOT laid out on Wednesday night in its public meeting.
Long a headache for the 100,000 vehicles that drive over it everyday, the Commercial Street Bridge sits in front of the Squirrel Hill Tunnel.
And it needs to be totally replaced.
A 2019 study found cracks and corrosion throughout the bridge and concluded the bridge would need to rehabbed, or else PennDOT would have to impose load restrictions.
Building a new bridge is expected to take until 2027 and test the patience of drivers and local residents.
Contractors will build the new bridge starting from the ground in Frick Park below the current bridge, and build upwards, right next to the current bridge. That’s expected to be done in July 2026.
Then, PennDOT will completely shut down that stretch of Parkway for about 25 days while the workers tear down the old bridge and slide in the new one, like a puzzle piece.
“This is a very ambitious and complex endeavor and we are excited to construct it this way,” Zang said. “This [method] will eliminate the need for four-plus years of long term lane closures and restrictions on the Parkway, but there's still much to do before the actual bridge slide takes place.”
Right now, work is underway to prepare the main detours for eventual heavy loads. The Wilkinsburg offramp is closed while crews lower the road so trucks will be able to use it when the section of the Parkway is closed.
They’re also preparing the spot where the construction will take place below the current bridge next to Commercial Street and Frick Park, by moving the road and the Nine Mile Run trail. The rerouted Nine Mile Run will remain open with a protected cover during construction.
They’ll restore the green space — trees, stream and trail — after the work finishes up by 2027.
On both sides of the Parkway, drivers should expect to merge into a single-lane periodically on nights and weekends starting next year through 2026.
Throughout 2025, there’ll be a number of overnight closures on the eastbound side and a weekend closure on both sides, with drivers routed on detours. The three-to-four-week-long closure for bridge demolition and installation will come in 2026.
The whole project is expected to wrap up by the summer of 2027.
