WJPA News

Pittsburgh, PA – On Monday, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Lt. Governor Austin Davis, and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Secretary Mike Carroll joined local officials and community leaders at the new Commercial Street Bridge in Allegheny County to announce that the Parkway East will reopen to traffic – a full week ahead of schedule. The $95 million project is one of the largest of its kind ever performed in Pennsylvania.  The eastbound lane of the Parkway will reopen at eight p.m. Monday night, and the westbound lane will reopen shortly after, with two lanes of traffic scheduled to open in both directions by midnight. However, if inclement weather impacts this schedule, traffic restrictions will be lifted by Tuesday morning.  To accomplish this replacement in such a short timeframe, PennDOT constructed the new Commercial Street Bridge next to the existing structure. Crews then demolished the old bridge and utilized Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) techniques to slide the new structure into place.  The original bridge closed to traffic on July 10th and demolition took place on July 16th. Lateral slide operations on the new bridge began on Sunday, July 19, and continued into Monday, July 20. Crews moved the structure 96 feet in seven hours on the first day and completed the remaining six feet and set the bridge back down the following morning. 1-376 was planned to be closed until August 3, however, thanks to favorable conditions and the hard work of dedicated crews, The Parkway East will open after only 17 days.  The Commercial Street Bridge Replacement Project is located between the Edgewood/Swissvale (Exit 77) interchange and Squirrel Hill Tunnel in Swissvale Borough and the City of Pittsburgh. Approximately 100,000 vehicles a day travel on I-376 over Commercial Street, on average.

Gas prices are six cents lower in Western Pennsylvania this week at $4.207 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.  The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline jumped 11 cents from last week to $4.11. Twenty-eight states are now averaging $4 per gallon or higher. Rising crude oil prices are behind the spike at the pump. Volatility along the Strait of Hormuz and instability in the region have pushed crude oil prices above $80 per barrel. Today’s national average is 24 cents more than a month ago and 97 cents more than a year ago.  According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand increased last week from 8.84 million to 8.94 million. Total domestic gasoline supply increased from 210.5 million barrels to 211.3 million. Gasoline production increased last week, averaging 9.7 million barrels per day.

A SWAT situation in the City of Washington Saturday night ended peacefully.  Authorities say an individual barricaded themselves inside of a home when police tried to serve an active arrest warrant on East Walnut Street.  They say that prompted multiple law enforcement agencies, including a SWAT team, to respond to the area.  The suspect was eventually arrested without further incident and there is no ongoing threat to the public.  There were no reported injuries.

BERLIN (AP) — German authorities say the suspect in the deadly Berlin Pride attack that killed one person and left 29 injured was shot and killed by police during a confrontation in a suburb of the city. Abdul Ballout, a German citizen with Lebanese roots, was killed on Sunday evening following a search that lasted nearly 24 hours after the attack in downtown Berlin. Berlin prosecutors said the suspect had previously sought to join the militant Islamic State group. The attack on Saturday night took place near the Brandenburg Gate, away from the main festival. Berlin’s Pride festival is one of Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ celebrations.

CAIRO (AP) — Mediators have made progress in efforts to bring the United States and Iran back to negotiations and prevent an all-out war in the Middle East. That’s according to two regional officials who spoke to The Associated Press. But scattered attacks by armed groups across the region underscored the lingering tensions. Neither the U.S. nor Iran have claimed any strikes for three days. Mediators led by Qatar and Pakistan are working to bridge the gap between Washington and Tehran. The U.S. has paused attacks after targeting Iranian areas in response to Iran firing at ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

LEGE-CAP FERRET, France (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron calls a crisis meeting to address uncontrolled wildfires forcing over 250,000 people to flee their homes. In the Gironde region of southwest France, flames have burned an area four times the size of Paris. The prefecture says the situation remained “globally stable” overnight, a change from previous days. No new evacuations have been announced. With France entering its peak tourist season, authorities have banned holiday camps for children and people with disabilities. Macron pledges long-term support for affected communities, saying, “We will rebuild, we will repair.”

NEW YORK (AP) — Carly Simon, the singer known for “Nobody Does It Better” and other hits, has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. In a statement to The Associated Press on Monday, the eighty-three-year-old Simon shared her journey of learning to live with the condition. She had experienced arthritis and underwent joint replacement surgeries, but her mobility continued to decline. After an evaluation at the Mayo Clinic, she received the Parkinson’s diagnosis. Simon also revealed she was treated for basal cell carcinoma on her face. Despite health challenges, music has been a solace. She will release “Comes in Waves,” her first album of original songs since 2008, in August.