Overview
- The full closure of I‑376 began over the July 10–12 weekend and is scheduled to run about 25 days, through roughly Aug. 3, to allow an accelerated one‑time replacement of the 75‑year‑old Commercial Street Bridge.
- Crews have been removing the bridge deck on 12‑hour shifts with about 60 percent of the deck taken down, and officials say explosive charges will be placed in pre‑drilled holes for a controlled implosion expected this week with no fixed date announced.
- A large prefabricated bridge is staged on site and supports are in place so crews can laterally slide the new span roughly 100–102 feet into position using synchronized heavy‑lift jacks as soon as demolition and cleanup are complete.
- Detour routes are producing longer commutes and neighborhood safety complaints as drivers and cyclists adapt, and PennDOT is monitoring conditions in real time from its Western Regional Traffic Management Center using cameras, signal control, changeable message signs and 511PA updates.
- PennDOT is using the closed corridor to do additional work such as Squirrel Hill Tunnel paving, Edgewood‑Swissvale interchange work, streetlight foundations and emergency‑responder exercises, but officials warn cleanup and final restoration may take weeks to months and the schedule could shift.