Retaining wall collapse leads to road closure in Munhall

Published: Thursday, Sept. 12, 2013, 1:56a.m. Updated 3 hours ago

Main Street in Munhall is about to become a lot busier.

Allegheny County Department of Public Works announced on Wednesday that a portion of Homestead-Duquesne Road a main artery for the borough will be closed for at least seven weeks because of a collapsed retaining wall between Franklin Street and Duquesne Avenue.

Public Works director Steven Johnson said county officials had hoped to fix the wall for awhile, but the recent collapse onto an existing inlet and partial roadway shoulder along with ongoing waterline work created an immediate need to close the street.

In association with that, there's a depression on Franklin bend that is a hazard and there's no temporary fix available, said Johnson. So we're closing the road to keep people away from that hazard, which will be fixed as part of the plan to repair the retaining wall.

Beginning at 7 a.m. on Thursday, a two-mile detour route will be posted, funneling traffic onto Main Street. At the intersection of Main Street and Farragut Street, drivers will be directed to travel south on Main Street for 1.4 miles before making a left onto Brierly Lane and traveling another mile to Homestead-Duquesne Road. The detour will be the same in the opposite direction from Homestead-Duquesne Road and Brierly Lane.

Johnson said drivers should be aware of potential traffic delays in the area.

It's an unavoidable situation, he said. We have to close the road for public safety and so that we can effectively repair it. Any detour can cause people confusion and delays.

The project to stabilize the slope along Homestead-Duquesne Road will begin with the construction of a retaining wall extension expected to be completed in early December.

Tim Karan is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-664-9161, ext. 1970, or tkaran@tribweb.com.

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Retaining wall collapse leads to road closure in Munhall