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[Foodie]

How will this impact you?

Southbound I-79 bridge closing Tuesday

VERNON TOWNSHIP ? The bridge that carries southbound traffic on Interstate 79 high over routes 6, 19 and 322 in Vernon Township will bear its last load early this morning.

Beginning around 9 a.m., Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will funnel all I-79 northbound traffic into a single lane and switch all southbound traffic into the former northbound passing lane. The closure will allow the reconstruction of the southbound lane between mile markers 146.5 and 148; when the completely rebuilt southbound lanes open, probably sometime in October, the bridge will be 4 to 5 feet higher.

Three southbound ramps will also close today at around 9. The southbound exit ramp for Conneaut Lake is expected to be open by the beginning of June, although the construction timetable is contingent on the weather, PennDOT Project Manager Reggie Jannetti said Monday afternoon.

The southbound exit ramp for Meadville as well as the southbound entrance ramp from Meadville will remain closed until construction is complete in October. The fourth ramp, which takes traffic from Conneaut Lake onto I-79 southbound, will remain open for the entire construction season.

A Highway Advisory Radio has been established at AM 1610; southbound travelers on I-79 will be able to pick up the signal just south of the Edinboro exit and hear a message describing the detour played all the way to the Saegertown-Conneautville exit. All northbound ramps will remain open, but northbound travelers will be able to hear an audio description of the project, according to Jannetti.

A special project Web site, www.i79meadville.com, has also been established, displaying alternate routes as well as a printable detour map and brochure.

All southbound traffic wanting to exit for Meadville or Conneaut Lake will be directed to use Exit 154, the Saegertown-Conneautville exit. From there, traffic will be directed along Route 198 West to Route 98 South and then to the intersection of routes 6, 19 and 322 in Vernon Township.

The detour for traffic on routes 6, 19 and 322 wanting to enter southbound I-79 is Route 6 westbound to Route 19 southbound to Route 285 East to the I-79 interchange at Geneva.

Demolition of the I-79 bridge will take place between the hours of 8 p.m. and 6 a.m.; delays should be expected on routes 6, 19 and 322.

[TiFeMb]

OW. That's going to hurt. That interchange really needs to be done though. Why can't they do a lot of the work in the winter? I know that concrete & pavement need certain ambient temperatures to harden correctly but they could do everything else & wait for a warm period.

Another reason to bypass Meadville & Conneaut Lake...Let's hope everyone uses the detours.

[Foodie]

A lot of businesses right off the interchange are going to hurt, like the Days Inn, Holiday Inn Express and the Super 8.   Do you honestly think people are going to take the Cochranton or Saegertown exits to drive all the way into Meadville to stay the night or two?   Probably not.   

[Kimmi]

That depends.  There isn't anything right off the exit at Edinboro, McKane, or I-90.  If they are that tired and can figure it out I guess they would.  Why 2 years? 

[Foodie]

Two years to do overpass bridge and all four exits.........I travel I-79 a lot and really didn't see much of a problem with the exits except that when some are merging onto 79, some are also getting off and that could be an issue they are trying to fix.   The bridge will mostly be demolished and raised.

[NightmarePatrol]

Two years? That's what it's going to take? Holy Moly! I must have missed that part. That's really too long for a project of that size? I bet they're getting paid by the hour and not by the job,

[Kimmi]

That is what I'm saying.  I'm not sure what takes 2 years to do that? 

[bighair80s]

2 years seems rather a long time. we'll just use saegertown exit i suppose.  mr bh stops at work a lot when we make a trip to and from erie anyhow so we go to saegertown anyhow a lot of times.  

i think it will surely impact the businesses at the interchange though. and for two years!

[TiFeMb]

The mercer exit at the swamp sucks. I almost killed myself one morning on 19 on the bridge that goes over the swamp right before you get to that exit. It had flooded, I was half asleep and I hit a HUGE patch of black ice on my bald Florida tires. WAKE UP!!!  It looked like I was going right into the swamp. Luckily I had experience growing up in Meadville driving on ice with rear wheel drive on cobblestones and it was a miracle I didn't even hit the guardrails! Pure instinct. (wheels all the way to the left! now all the way to the the right! back left! back right! AAAGGGHHH!!!) I get the willies just thinking about it. 

Anyway, that exit is the boondocks & it's not intuitive on how to get to CL or Meadville from that point. The Saegertown exit would be confusing if you weren't from the area, although that was my preferred route from Erie to Allegheny. Almost hit a deer right in front of Mr. BH's shop! Doe I think. I was busy watching my life flash before my eyes.

I do miss driving around there...

[Foodie]

TiFe, that exit does stink.....And don't forget about the giant snapping turtles that goet on Rt 19 there.   Don't even try and hit one 

[TiFeMb]

Missed the snappin' turtles. I used to drive from Meadville to Grove City to work at the GE Diesel Engine plant, & would go through there around 5am. I guess the turtles were sleeping.

[shortcircuit]

Are yous talking about exit 141 and the bit of 19 right there? 

[TiFeMb]

I think so. Sort of a truck stop & a greasy spoon. The exit is on the southbound side of the swamp.

Seriously, if I were a female driving alone I would have serious misgivings about getting off at that exit.

[shortcircuit]

LMAO!  Actually we dont have any problems there.  Dave parks his rig at that place.  When we first moved in he had fuel stolen but has since gotten locking caps.  it looks like hell but they treat ya decent.  Heck, they even pump your gas for you. 

[NightmarePatrol]