I hate when they do this stuff so late in the season. 51 is going to be a mess all winter now because of this.

Consider the alternative - I'm glad they're fixing things myself. The lane addition for 28 in particular is going to be a huge improvement.

Same! Like why couldn't it be done in the spring?

Oh is that what they are doing? Seems like it's been taking forever. Didn't know it was a lane addition.

There are 4 separate construction work zones around the PPG paints arena. There are 4 separate work zones on 5th Ave in Oakland between Halket and the Allies ramp.

Sometimes it's an inconvenient coincidence.

People would've complained about it in the spring, too. And people would've complained if the infrastructure was in bad shape.

Lol you're not wrong! It's just odd how much there is all of the sudden.

5th ave is an absolute mess. 4 lanes being squeezed into 1 frankly just seems like negligence on the city’s part.

As usual, they started entirely too late this year. I don't think most construction started in earnest until probably July. Now they're rushing to catch up. Not to mention a lot of the sites I pass on a daily basis are empty of workers probably 3 days a week.

You're right but I was burned by PA American Water on my street a few years ago in a similar fashion so I particularly dislike work this late in the year.

I just wish they'd find a way to optimize it. For roads, there are certain things that need to happen. For example, the road surface at the Highland park interchange needs to sit for 30 days before it can be driven on, so it can cure. I just wish they'd find a way to get to that much, much faster. The destruction side of it, ripping out the old stuff, should be super fast (and I assume fun for the crew). The reconstruction side could afford to be much faster though (even with the necessary curing time).

51, Saw mill run, and 837 are the reasons I don't live south of the Mon anymore. 7 years later, I don't regret it for one second.

I totally agree with you!

It has been rough honestly. You're lucky to not have to deal with it lol

Tired of it? Heck, I welcome it! Better roads on the horizon.

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Fair point!

My biggest pet peeve about it is when I see about 10 workers standing around a hole and one guy working. Perfect example was tonight on saw mill run near the rite aide. There were at least 10 guys there standing doing absolutely nothing.

It's about the money, they have to spend the money now, it's a government thing.

Just trying to make the roads better for you, relax..

Designated stand arounders. Every job has them. Relax.

When a normal 20 minutes drive turns into more than an hour of sitting in traffic nightly, it is quite hard to relax. Then, when I go see my family it takes me another 45 minutes just to get to the other side of the waterfront which is usually a 5-10 minutes drive cutting down eighth avenue. So no, I will not relax.

I have been avoiding that too. Being in the south hills sucks at the moment.

Get out and help then.

Sure. Give me some tools!

Jesus, Pittsburghers will complain about anything. Bitch about roads not being maintained and then bitch when they're fixed.

Well if all 10 of them were in the hole how the hell would they have any room to work? Also remember you are not in traffic, you ARE the traffic.

Lol they were not in the hole. They were all just surrounding it staring at it.

Edit: misread your comment. Why have so many of them if they aren't doing anything? Doesn't make sense to me.

No but traffic will be a mess with construction every spring summer fall in Pennsylvania forever. Asphalt plants need to run at a certain ambient temp for placement so the construction season is limited and they just try to get as much done as possible in the shortest amount of time and usually that means high lane closures and delays.

That's interesting. What's the highest temperature asphalt can be laid out in?

If someone is in a hole digging around and 10 people are around there is probably a utility that wasn't on the plan (hello old metro US). Last thing you need is to shut water for an entire neighborhood, cause a gas explosion, electrocute someone, or cut through telecom.

Also, people have to wait around when there are material (especially concrete) deliveries and permit (traffic or noise) restrictions.

I think they typically like min of 40. But also the entire week has to be consistent in the 40’s and rising because it’s cost a lot for the actual asphalt plant to be running so they don’t just open and close on a daily basis. They need to have orders. And on that subject concrete is also tough to place in cold temps slowing down a lot of construction but concrete actually produces it’s own heat during curing and blankets can keep that work going thru winter but asphalt is what a majority of our roads are made of here in PA.

The influx of funds from the federal government has helped move projects along quicker

That's good to know! I was genuinely curious! I find that stuff interesting.

That's what I was also told from others. Well, i hope in the end everything is going to be looking nice for the city. It can just get frustrating sitting in all that traffic. Especially 28.

They all have different jobs. Lots of different machines to run, skilled labor in the hole laying pipe (teehee) foreman directing it all, 3rd party inspector, sometimes multiple inspectors each responsible for watching different aspects of the work. Nobody is there that doesn’t have to be.

Assholes employing people! Making sure they have enough employees and not short staffed.

I guess when you are looking at it from a civilians perspective being stuck in the car barely moving, you don't see it from that perspective.

I hste it with a passion, I've seen them repave roads that didn't need paved (on i76), they always block lanes for miles even though they only work within a half a mile spot

lol love

You should try driving around Canonsburg on a weekday. Feels like an endless detour.

What are they doing to 51? 837 has been closed for months now… insane

ITT: you aren't in traffic, you are the traffic. You hate it so much take the bus or work closer to home.

Looks like some kind of pipeline or something. 837 I feel isn't going to be open for a while.

I work at home. I feel a need to get out in nature after being stuck on a computer for long periods of time. I don't want to waste my time being stuck in traffic all night which has happened many times in the past few weeks. Taking a bus would not help. Don't assume my life.

Just taking a guess that government's new fiscal years start on October 1st. I've also read somewhere that a bunch of federal government cash is on the way to PA. If you have your budget and blow through it, it's easier to get rewarded the extra cash when it becomes available.

Still just a guess.

All this construction makes me think we don’t have a competent city planner or whoever makes traffic decisions

If a job requires 10 people for 15 minutes, and 1 person for the next 45, they send 10 people. A lot of construction is like that, you need to have a large crew available, but there isn't a way for all of them to productively work for the whole shift.

If the construction was ever finished I'd be grateful. It seems like most major roads are ALWAYS under construction for something.

You don’t need anything., you can be the designated stand arounder .

That would sound like this… I’m sitting in this freaking traffic sneezing my head off, stupid trees are full of pollen while I wait for them to screw this road up for 9 months. Why can’t they do this the week I am on vacation?!

Why has it been 60 days of them not tearing out the old stuff going north bound under the bridge? It’s like 3 feet higher than the new stuff! They are the SLOWEST construction crew ever.

When heading north on 28 at the Highland Park Bridge, the right lane was always an exit-only lane for the bridge, so all traffic that wanted to continue on 28 had to get in the left lane. They are changing it so that there are two lanes for through-traffic, and then a normal highway exit for the bridge. And they are doing the same thing thing southbound at the bridge: Changing from one through-lane to two.

I’m so happy I prioritized trolley access when my startup chose its offices. If you’re lucky enough to be near a trolley stop, please use it! I sail right past the 88 and 51 and liberty bridge traffic everyday.

I agree. But take a look at historic 28 and be happy that even with the construction it is faster than it used to be.

That'll make it a hell of a lot safer too. It's always chaotic in both directions near that bridge.

I’m more concerned about the drivers around me than the construction. I am on the road a lot for work, and I see speeding, tail gaiting, blowing through stop signs and red lights etc… on a daily basis. I can’t believe that there aren’t so many more accidents than there already are due to peoples impatience and selfishness. Crazy.

My biggest pet peeve is when someone who knows absolutely nothing about construction goes online and pretends to know enough to assess what every worker is doing.

It’s literally everywhere at the same time. It made my 10 minute drive to take my kids to work a 30 minute drive with the detour because they’re doing work every other route. It’s ridiculous planning

Ok car brain

Thanks for that information! That'll definitely be worth it!

Sure! I'll get paid to just stand around! How do I sign up?

They need cities skylines in their life lol

Sounds like bad management honestly. But then again what do I know about construction?

Im glad someone feels me!

https://youtu.be/22W5tRWbUVI

Well, when you're sitting in a car for over an hour of bumper to bumper traffic and see that everyone is just standing there it's not a good look. Seems like poor use of time and poor management. Again what do I know about construction?

Thanks for the video and actually being helpful!

I’m glad they’re fixing things but the problem is that no one is coordinating with each other to make sure that alternative routes are not also affected. When this was raised in the Homestead Facebook group, the mayor said that Allegheny County had started work in the area without notifying Homestead, who had also started their own work nearby. So it just make things so much worse for everyone.

They tried to open it to cars only for a bit but the trucks were ignoring the signs and using it anyway. 🙄 so they had to shut it all back down.

Do they have any ideas when it's going to be done? I travel though homestead a lot.

Last I heard was August so that shows you how their estimates are going 😂

Yup it was so nice when that section was open. I didn't mind the little detour there.

Happily north of the city. Our little stretch of 28 is already completed. But I feel for you, it took me 1h45m to get home from the airport after an international flight I was seeing red. Normally takes 40min

Lol! I hope it is going to be a solid foundation afterwards. It has been a long 3 months of having to take detours.

I am 35 and there has never been a time when 28 wasn’t under construction, I really don’t even notice it anymore.

It’s a way to get some decent money outta the gov’ment and hey, we get roads, horray!

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Absolutely nothing if you think everyone can be working at the same time.

Yeah, I think this just comes with the territory when we have to rely entirely on driving for almost every trip. Cars need an incredible amount of road space and those roads need regular maintenance.

Traffic is one of the few natural phenomena that complains about itself.

Try driving any side street around Bloomfield. If the road isn’t shut down, it’s completely torn up and open. One day I was literally detoured into a circle right back to where I started from due to 5 different closed streets.

That sounds miserable

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That's a good point! 28 terrified me sometimes.

I used to work in South Point. I can say I don't miss it other than being close to Sarris' Ice Cream.

We do like to complain 😂😂😂

Not a bad idea!

Absolutely this. And it's like this many places around the country this summer. Detroit was absolutely surrounded in construction when I drove through in July; I counted 48 construction zones between Pittsburgh and North Dakota on a trip in September.

The only way it will be ever finished is if people would just stop driving on the roads after they're done. That's what ruins them.

Sorry, you gotta know a friend of a friend to get in.

Damn.

"We need to fix our crumbling infrastructure!"

"I'm tired of infrastructure being fixed!"

I get that it is frustrating when there's a lot going on at once. I imagine it has to do with the overall need, the set backs from the pandemic, and new money being available to get things done.

Yes all at once is absolutely crazy. The road I miss the most being open is 837. It's been a nightmare getting around the waterfront during rush hour.

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Oakland and into the Southside (Bates Street), 5th Ave and Craft Ave are all terrible.

It’s completely out of control. Time to move

How does 'getting out into nature' result in being stuck in traffic? It sounds like you're doing something fundamentally wrong.

Not really. The places I like going to see in town are swarmed in construction. Maybe I like to go see things instead of being in my home or neighborhood? Is that allowed?

Sure. But are you in nature when you're stuck in traffic? Maybe there's a better way.

No I'm stuck in my car.

You know what else can take you into nature? Your own two legs. You forget about those?

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It’s back open! Just reopened today.

Omg thanks for letting me know!