Road work on schedule despite heat
Contractors working on major PennDOT projects along Route 119 and Route 22 have not been adversely affected by the recent heat wave, according to a PennDOT spokesman.
“Nothing has been falling behind because of any weather- or heat-related items,” said Jay Ofsanik, a PennDOT District 12 spokesman.
Two sections of Route 22 in Westmoreland County are under construction: the BO2 section from just east of the Cozy Inn Cutoff in Murrysville to the Route 66 interchange in Salem Township; and the BO8 section, which runs from about a quarter-mile east of Route 981 in New Alexandria to Route 982.
There are two sections of Route 119 under construction in Westmoreland County: from Willow Crossing in Hempfield Township to the Greensburg city line; and in Youngwood from North to Burton avenues and from Painter Avenue to Oak Street.
Ofsanik said all the projects are on schedule and that while there are traffic delays associated with each one, none have been out of the ordinary.
“I haven’t heard anything of any unreasonable or lengthy delays that would irritate people,” he said.
Generally, if motorists allow an extra five or 10 minutes for delays, they should not have a problem, he said.
On Friday and Saturday, PennDOT said pipe installation along the Route 22 BO2 section will require alternate single-lane restrictions and major delays or backups are likely.
In addition, in the area of Westmoreland Manor along Route 119, the contractor will be switching traffic this week to the outside lanes to allow construction of the inside lanes. At the same time, the area between Huff Avenue and the Route 30 ramps will undergo construction that will involve two shifts of workers per day, including Saturdays and possibly Sundays.