Directions to Kennywood question

I'll be heading to Kennywood later this week and have a quick question about directions. These are the directions from Kennywood's website, and they are the ones I usually follow:

Rt. 70 East, to I 79 North, to I 279 North, go through the Fort Pitt tunnels, stay in right lane, to I 376 East toward Monroeville, get off Exit #7 Swissvale, follow the Kennywood arrows to the Park.

My question is, are these still ok? I keep hearing about this new expressway that is being built close to the park. Am I going to run in to any construction zones or detours going this way? Any massive slowdowns? Any help is very appreciated!

- Aaron K

There has actually been a ton of weekend traffic at that exit recently due to I think good weather for Kennywood and the construction on the other High Level bridge leading to the Waterfront.

If you are going on a weekday you won't see any serious slow downs.

You might want to take IR-470 around Wheeling (I think that's the route number).

If you like driving on winding roads, saving a few miles, and avoiding the eternal construction on IR-79 (is that still under construction North of Washington? I haven't gone that way in a while...) then you could take IR-70 to IR-77, go North on IR-77 to US-22 and take US-22 on out. US-22 follows IR-279 and IR-376, so you can really stay on 22 all the way to the Swissvale exit.

If you don't like winding roads but you still want to avoid IR-79, then exit IR-70 at OH-7 and take OH-7 North to Steubenville and catch US-22 there. That takes you past the power plants and steel mills along the river, and like the US-22 route above, it takes you across the cable-stayed bridge on US-22 into Weirton.

Normally, you would exit IR-376 at Swissvale (I failed to notice the new exit number, but it's the old Exit 9), and take Braddock Rd. to the Rankin Bridge, cross the bridge and turn Left onto Kennywood Blvd.; the park is on the right.

On Saturday morning there was a significant back-up at the Squirrel Hill tunnel, and after a mile and a half of stop-and-go traffic, we bailed off at Homestead and went down to the Homestead High Level Bridge to PA-837 (becomes Kennywood Blvd). There is construction at the intersection with 837.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.
Who was just at Kennywood on Saturday...and who also lives in Columbus.

Those directions are accurate and you shouldn't run into any major construction along that route. The expressway continues to be just a proposal - the residents of the communities it will pass through strongly oppose it being built. The latest news suggests that it may never be built.

Depending on the day of the week and time of day, you may hit some congestion right as you get off the Swissvale Exit (#7). But it doesn't last too long. There really isn't a easy way around this without going seriously out of your way.

I don't think that part of the expressway is under construction just yet.

The easiest way to get there is this:

1.) Get within 5 miles.
2.) Follow the arrows.

;)

Follow your directions very carefully, because one missed turn in Pittsburgh can take you miles out of your way. Traveling around there is horrible so stay alert!

I suggest to stay on I70 until Rt 43, the new Mon-Fayette.
Take it North to the end (Rt 51) Now go 51 South up and down a mountain to the Elizabeth Bridge
You will come to an interchange with Rt 837.
Left lane it to take the ramp to 837 North.
Follow that all the way.
Easiest way to avoid the Pittsburgh mess.

I live over the hill from KP and I will be there Aug 19th.
Feel free to email me, I can get you there anyway possible around the traffic jams. (except the parking lot, of course.) *** Edited 8/16/2006 2:14:08 PM UTC by DJTheC***