A major traffic pattern switch on the U.S. Route 219 Bradford
bypass will cause havoc for area motorists, starting today.

The largest portion of the work will occur between Forman and
Mill streets, according to Pennsylvania Department of
Transportation Inspector in Charge for the project Brian
Brocius.

Crews will likely work 24 hours a day through at least Saturday
on the first phase of the changeover, which will last through June
7.

“It’s going to be quite a mess out there for a day or two,”
Brocius said on Thursday.

Brocius said crews from Mascaro Construction Co. of Pittsburgh –
the main contractors for the two-year, $55.4 million project – will
be working to place southbound traffic onto one of the newly
completed southbound lanes between Owens Way and Mill Street.

Major traffic delays are expected on the bypass on both the
current southbound and northbound lanes. Brocius said motorists can
use the detours around the bypass which are already in place.

“We have to get in there and remove some barriers for paving,
among other things,” Brocius said, referring to the location for
the traffic switch. “In order to accomplish that, traffic will have
to be slowed down and stopped at times. Hopefully, with it being
over the weekend, it won’t be as bad.”

Brocius said it’s possible that crews will also be in that
location doing work on Sunday.

PennDOT officials expect the southbound traffic to switch to one
of the new southbound lanes sometime during the day on
Saturday.

Meanwhile, between Monday and Wednesday, work will continue on
the temporary northbound lane crossovers, officials said, adding
northbound traffic will be placed onto another of the newly built
southbound lanes on Thursday.

Officials said all bypass traffic configurations to the north of
Mill Street will remain the same.

During a meeting between PennDOT and local municipal and
emergency services officials in March, Brocius announced the “weave
pattern” would be in place, starting just south of Mill Street.

Crews have been busy since the start of the construction season
this year doing excavation and paving work on the southbound lanes
of the bypass, along with the ramps.

According to Brocius, traffic will be in this new configuration
for about a month or so.

“Once we get the remainder of the work in the southbound lanes
done from Mill Street to the north, then we can take both the
northbound lanes over onto the southbound section,” Brocius said.
“The whole purpose is to get traffic onto the new pavement and
allow the contractor to get in and start demolishing the northbound
bridges.”

Brocius said the northbound bridges should begin to be
demolished starting the week of June 11.

In the past, a major project or traffic pattern switch on the
bypass has forced traffic to spill onto the neighboring city
streets, causing significant backups through the Tuna Valley.

Among the other work being performed next week includes work on
the bypass bridge deck over Mill Street, paving on the southbound
lanes and interchange ramps, and flaggers will be in place all week
on Main and Forman streets for touch-up painting of the bypass’
southbound bridges.

Officials said the following ramps will remain closed next week:
southbound off-ramp at Forman Street, and southbound on-and
off-ramps at Kendall and Seaward avenues. Detour signs will be in
place for all ramp closures.

Meanwhile, the following ramps will remain open: all northbound
and southbound ramps at Owens Way, northbound off-ramp at Elm
Street, southbound on-ramp at Elm Street, northbound on-ramp at
Forman Street, southbound off-ramp at Forman Street, northbound
on-and off-ramps at Kendall Avenue, and all ramps at Bolivar
Drive.

Traffic will be in that configuration until further notice. All
work is weather dependent.

PennDOT officials said they would like the majority of the
bypass work to be completed by the end of the year. Another major
project on the horizon over the summer is the rehabilitation of
North Kendall Avenue near the American Refining Group refinery;
that work is slated to be done between mid-June and
mid-September.