Part of McKnight Road to close for a month as new crossover project begins

ROSS TOWNSHIP, Pa. — More traffic restrictions are coming to McKnight Road as part of PennDOT’s ongoing improvement project.

Starting Saturday, the Babcock Boulevard on-ramp to southbound McKnight Road will be closed to traffic through late April.

In addition, traffic will be down to one way in each direction near the Babcock interchange.

For drivers heading southbound toward the city, traffic will be crossed over in the northbound lanes between Municipal Drive and Brookview Lanes.

The crossover is also expected to be in place through April.

These restrictions and the ramp closure will allow crews to work on the bridge that carries traffic over Babcock Boulevard.

The southbound McKnight Road ramp to Babcock Boulevard will remain open. The on and off-ramps on northbound McKnight Road at the Babcock Boulevard interchange will also remain open to traffic.

Drivers in the North Hills have been dealing with construction for over a year as PennDOT works to complete a multi-year project on McKnight Road and the surrounding area. Upgrades include paving, guide rails, new signs, improved drainage, and bridge preservation.

Officials told Channel 11 that the end is in sight as they are set to begin the final phase of work this weekend.

Drivers are looking forward to the work wrapping up.

“I got stuck out here around rush hour; it was a mess, so I don’t know why they have to do such a big area,” said Allison Kremar, a North Hills resident.

Drivers told us that navigating this construction has been like playing the ultimate video game, watching for hazards, and finding shortcuts along the way.

Kremar shared this advice: “I watch what time I come out here so that I don’t have to hit that much traffic; instead of going southbound, I try to go northbound and cut up over the hill.”

“I leave 15 minutes early,” said Charles Reese, a North Hills Resident. “I cut through the back roads, and there is a way to get up to the exit because I am going to 279.”

But when we asked if Reese would share his shortcuts, he, like other drivers we spoke with, said absolutely not.

“I’m not going to tell where that one is,” he joked.

Here is PennDOT’s posted detour for Babcock Boulevard on-ramp closure:

West of the closure

• Head westbound on Babcock Boulevard
• Continue on Babcock Boulevard
• Turn right onto Siebert Road
• Turn right onto McKnight Road
• Follow southbound McKnight Road to the closed ramp
• End detour

East of the closure

• Head eastbound on Babcock Boulevard
• Babcock Boulevard becomes Peoples Road
• Continue straight onto Evergreen Road
• Follow Evergreen Road to McKnight Road
• End detour

PennDOT’s ongoing $27 million McKnight Road improvement project is expected to be completed this summer.

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