Work on E. Fifth Avenue in McKeesport, White Oak, North Versailles Township and East McKeesport may continue past Thanksgiving.
This week, crews from contractor Derry Construction of Latrobe began applying asphalt from Westinghouse Avenue up the hill past Crooked Run Road toward Route 30.
"Paving started (Wednesday)," PennDOT District 11 spokesman James Struzzi said. "Motorists should expect changing traffic patterns next. Various shifts will occur throughout the work zone as work progresses."
District 11 recently announced that long-term lane closures currently in place on Route 148 would continue through early December.
"Single-lane traffic is occurring on Route 148 between Westinghouse Avenue and Route 30," Struzzi said. "One lane will remain open in each direction at all times with traffic shifted onto the northbound lanes of the roadway."
The $2.56 million, 2.21-mile project includes milling and resurfacing, drainage, repairs in three culverts, curbing, guide rail and traffic signals. A bridge also will be replaced carrying Route 148 over Crooked Run.
Eventually, the work will extend downhill to the juncture of E. Fifth and Hartman Street.
It is the first of two years of such work on Route 148, with paving scheduled next week on E. Fifth and on Lysle Boulevard in downtown McKeesport, past the flyover ramp being built to carry Coursin Street into the RIDC Riverplace Industrial Center of McKeesport.
As is usually the case for any PennDOT project, the transportation department urges motorists to use caution when traveling through the area. The speed limit in the construction zone is 30 mph.
More details about traffic conditions are available either at 511pa.com or by calling 511.
Route 148 is one of a number of major arteries affected by long-term construction work in the Mon-Yough region this summer. Other jobs include those on the Clairton-Glassport and Boston bridges as well as preliminary work on the W.D. Mansfield Memorial Bridge.
