Motorists can expect traffic disruptions at an Interstate 70 exit in Rostraver as work nears an end on improving a bridge over the interstate.
The work, set to begin Thursday, involves widening of an off-ramp leading from westbound I-70 to southbound Route 201 (Rostraver Road), at Exit 43-A.
Flaggers will control traffic between that ramp and the intersection of Route 201 and Pricedale Road. Traffic restrictions are expected to continue though mid-September, depending on weather conditions.
Additionally, traffic will be subject to dimension restrictions around the clock in the project area: a width restriction of 8.5 feet and a length restriction of 40 feet.
The work is part of a $7.2 million project encompassing improvements to the Rostraver Road bridge and to another span farther west that carries Fayette Street over I-70.
The Rostraver Road bridge was raised by about 8 inches to provide adequate vertical clearance of 14 feet, 8 inches above the interstate. Following that procedure, the bridge reopened to traffic in early May.
The Fayette Street bridge was replaced, also increasing clearance — by nearly 2 feet, to 16 feet, 6 inches.
Before being raised, the Rostraver Road bridge was struck several times by tall vehicles passing beneath it on I-70. The Fayette Street span, which had a “poor” condition rating, was likewise at risk for being struck before the clearance was increased.
