(News)

(Update: PennDOT has rescheduled this work due to inclement weather. See below.)

North Versailles Township would be a good place to avoid next weekend --- at least in the vicinity of Wal-Mart and Great Valley Shopping Center.

A demolition project on U.S. Route 30 near East McKeesport will reroute that highway's traffic up Greensburg Pike and down Warren Drive, the short street that separates Wal-Mart from the shopping center.

About 22,000 vehicles use that stretch of Lincoln Highway during a typical weekday, according to state Department of Transportation statistics.

The detour begins at 8 p.m. Friday, March 19 and continues until 5 a.m. Monday, March 22, said Jim Struzzi, spokesman for PennDOT District 11. Signs will be posted to guide motorists through the detour:

• Eastbound drivers will have to make a left turn at Wal-Mart onto Warren Drive, make a right turn onto Greensburg Pike, and then bear left onto the ramp to Route 30.


• Westbound drivers will bear right onto the ramp for Greensburg Pike, make a left at Great Valley Shopping Center onto Warren Drive, and then make a right onto Route 30.

On March 19, crews will begin demolishing the aging steel bridge that connects Greensburg Pike to the eastbound lanes of Route 30. More construction work is set for the following weekend --- March 26 to 29 --- and the same detour will be in effect.

Highwood Avenue will remain open to local traffic.

PennDOT is replacing the old bridge at a cost of $4.5 million, Struzzi says. Other work will include new guide rails and drainage upgrades and will continue until this fall.

The general contractor is Gulisek Construction Co. of Mount Pleasant, Westmoreland County.

. . .

Free Homebuying Workshop March 20: First-time homebuyers who need free advice on purchasing a house, shopping for a loan and other issues are invited to a workshop from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 20.

The event will be held at the Mon Valley Initiative, 305 E. Eighth Ave. in Homestead, says Mike Mauer, MVI housing counselor. Free parking and a light breakfast and lunch are included.

Attendees can also get advice on budgeting to purchase a home, "closing" procedures and home maintenance, and learn how to qualify for mortgages that include down payment and closing cost assistance.

The event is targeted at people who have jobs and meet low-to-moderate income guidelines. To register, call Mauer at (412) 464-4000, ext. 4008.

Editor's Note: PennDOT announced March 12 that the closure of Route 30 scheduled for March 12 to 15 in the area of Greensburg Pike in North Versailles Township was canceled due to expected inclement weather. This story was updated March 12 to reflect the new information.