The Ewing Road on-and-off ramps along Interstate 376 East are to to motorists Oct. 31, said Pittsburgh International Airport spokeswoman Joann Jenny.
The Allegheny County Airport Authority shuttered the roadway’s ramps June 27 to install traffic roundabouts in the area. Motorists have been forced to take detours around the closed ramps while work on the $950,000-project takes place.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation earlier this year issued the authority a highway occupancy permit for the project.
Randy Forester, senior director of development for the authority, said the roundabouts will help better manage traffic in the intersection, which is expected to greatly increase in the next decade.
Forester said the reason to revamp the Ewing Road corridor was two-fold: The Cherrington Park development has created additional traffic flow off the interstate and more development is expected to take place in the area in years to come.
He said the location could some day be home to commercial businesses or office locations.
“Traffic had reached a point where we needed to address it, but it’s also looking 10 to 20 years ahead," Forester said. "When you plan these projects, you look at the distant horizons, and then you use the new traffic count to plan the project.”
The airport authority provided the township with a presentation on the new traffic plan at its October meeting. Jenny said materials have been sent to residents in the area concerning use of roundabout.
“We had identified the intersection as one that would need improvement,” Forester said. “We think the roundabouts will absolutely help [manage traffic]."
