Nightly Liberty Tunnel Closures Begin April 2

The Liberty Tunnel will be closed in both directions nightly from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday through Friday starting the night of April 2 and running through November 2013.

Outbound closures will begin about two hours later on nights of Pittsburgh Penguins home games.

The closures are part of the $18.8 million fourth phase of work to improve the tunnel.

The project includes repair of structural concrete, updating and repair of electrical, lighting and safety systems, refurbishing of the portal buildings and other improvements. The prime contractor is the Swank Construction Company, LLC.

Overall work will conclude this fall.

Here will be the posted detours: 

Outbound detour:

• Use Fort Pitt Tunnel or West End to Route 51

Alternate detour:

• Make right onto PJ McArdle Roadway
• Continue straight onto Merrimac Street to Woodruff Street
• Follow Woodruff Street to Route 51/19 (Saw Mill Run Boulevard)
• Make left onto Route 51/19 (Saw Mill Run Boulevard) and follow back to Route 19 (Liberty Avenue)
• End detour

Inbound detour:

• Take Route 51 (Saw Mill Run Boulevard) north to I-376 (Parkway West)
• Take the Parkway West eastbound through the Fort Pitt Tunnel
• Bear right on the eastbound Parkway East (I-376)
• Take the Parkway East to Grant Street (New Exit 71A/Old Exit 1C)
• From Grant Street, make right onto Boulevard of the Allies (Route 885)
• Take Boulevard of the Allies east to Liberty Bridge and Tunnels
• End detour 

Commercial vehicle traffic should use the Parkway East, Parkway West and Route 51 to bypass the closures. Message boards are posted to guide commercial vehicles through this detour.

The 5,889 foot-long Liberty Tunnels were built in 1924. Approximately 45,000 vehicles use the Liberty Tunnels on an average day.

To subscribe for traffic alerts and construction advisories for the Liberty Tunnel/Bridge, send email addresses to jstruzzi@pa.gov. Please write “Subscribe -Liberty Tunnel” in the subject line.

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