St. George Cathedral, Oakland

Please note that Forbes Ave will be closed this weekend for construction. Here is information on the closure and the available detours:

NEW BOULEVARD OF THE ALLIES BRIDGE BEAMS SET THIS WEEKEND IN OAKLAND

Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is advising motorists that Forbes Avenue in the Oakland area of the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, will be closed this weekend, Sept. 6-7, 2008, weather permitting. In addition, the ramp from eastbound I-376 (Parkway East) to Forbes Avenue (Exit 2A) will be closed.

The Forbes Avenue and Parkway East off-ramp closures will begin at midnight on Friday, Sept. 5, and will continue around-the-clock Saturday through 6 a.m. on Sunday, Sept.7. The closures are necessary for public safety as contractor crews set steel beams in place to construct the new bridge that will carry the Boulevard of the Allies (Route 885) over Forbes Avenue. Forbes Avenue will be closed from the Birmingham Bridge on-ramp to Craft Avenue.

Signs will be used to guide motorists.

Posted Detours:

Forbes Avenue detour:

* Make a right off Forbes Avenue onto Brady Street
* Follow Brady Street and make a left onto Second Avenue
* Follow Second Avenue and make a left onto Bates Street
* Follow Bates Street into Oakland and make a left onto the Boulevard of the Allies
* Follow the Boulevard of the Allies and make a right onto Craft Avenue
* Follow Craft Avenue and make a right onto Forbes Avenue

Parkway East off-ramp to Forbes Avenue:

* Continue outbound to Edgewood Swissvale interchange (Exit 7)
* Exit and make left onto Braddock Avenue
* Take Braddock Avenue northbound to the on-ramp to the inbound Parkway East
* Take the inbound Parkway East to Exit 3B (Bates Street)
* Follow Bates Street into Oakland and make a left onto the Boulevard of the Allies
* Follow the Boulevard of the Allies and make a right onto Craft Avenue
* Follow Craft Avenue and make a right onto Forbes Avenue

The work is part of the $29 million project to replace the Route 885 Boulevard of the Allies Bridge that includes the demolition and reconstruction of the mainline bridge over Forbes Avenue, the replacement of south and north ramps with new roadway ramps and the elimination of the contra-flow traffic lane on Forbes Avenue. The Boulevard of the Allies Bridge closed to traffic on Jan. 3 and will remain closed through November 2008. Overall construction is expected to be completed in late 2008. The prime contractor for the project is Joseph B. Fay of Russellton, PA.

For more info and virtual images of the project, visit www.otma-pgh.org. Visit www.dot.state.pa.us/district11 for more information on PennDOT District 11.

Sorry, I made a mistake in the last post. The Choir Festival on Sunday begins at 5pm, not 6pm.