10-month closure of I-70 ramps to Route 31 set to begin

A 10-month closure of on- and off-ramps at one exit on Interstate 70 east in Westmoreland County will begin Thursday, according to PennDOT.

The exit ramps for Route 31 in South Huntingdon — 51A and 51B — will be closed starting at 8 p.m. until June.

Detours will be in place and message boards and signs will help to direct travelers, according to a department news release. The closures are part of a $67 million reconstruction of the interchange that includes realignment of the ramps and a new bridge over Route 31.

Drivers heading east on I-70 should pass the exit for Route 31 and use the next exit for Yukon — Exit 53. Then, head back westbound on the interstate to Exit 51 for Route 31.

Drivers on Route 31 should get on the interstate westbound and take the Smithton exit — Exit 49 — and then re-enter the highway eastbound.

Renatta Signorini is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Renatta at 724-837-5374, rsignorini@tribweb.com or via Twitter @byrenatta.