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Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing the reopening of the I-279 High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes in the northbound (outbound) direction in Ross Township and the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, will occur on Friday, May 21 weather permitting.

The process to reopen the HOV lanes to traffic in the northbound (outbound) direction only will begin at approximately 10 a.m. on Friday. The outbound only configuration will be in effect around-the-clock until further notice. Southbound (inbound) access to the HOV lanes will not be permitted at this time. The department is currently evaluating potential options for a full reopening of the HOV lanes. A definitive timeline has not yet been determined.

Crews have conducted temporary repairs, inspection activities, vegetation and litter removal, and barricade installation.

The HOV lanes are used to reduce congestion along Interstate 279 (Parkway North) by promoting ridesharing via carpooling, van pooling, or public transportation. With the exception of motorcycles, all vehicles using the HOV lanes must have at least two people in them from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Also, trucks are not permitted on the HOV.

The HOV lanes closed to traffic on March 16, 2021.

To help keep motorists informed, PennDOT has created an email distribution list for I-279 Parkway North traffic advisories. Enroll by sending email addresses to stcowan@pa.gov. Please write “Subscribe – Parkway North” in the subject line.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

MEDIA CONTACT: Steve Cowan, 412-429-5010

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