The Pennsylvania Department Transportation (PennDOT) today announced plans to close a portion of the Bayfront Parkway later this year.
PennDOT anticipates closing the Bayfront Parkway (Route 4034) between Sassafras Street Extension and Holland Street, including the State Street intersection, in September 2025. It will remain closed for approximately one year. View the Bayfront Parkway closure map.
Route 5 (12th Street) will be the recommended detour for traffic traveling across the city throughout the closure.
Access to businesses along the waterfront side of the Bayfront Parkway will be maintained at all times from East Front Street and West Front Street Extension.
During the closure, major work included in the Central Bayfront Parkway Project will be completed, including the reconstruction of State Street and the parkway to create a grade-separated intersection with lanes to take through traffic beneath the intersection, shorter at-grade crosswalks across the parkway, and new traffic signals. Work will also be done near Holland Street to prepare for the construction of a roundabout and pedestrian bridge at that intersection.
PennDOT conducted a public involvement effort in late May to gather input on the possible closure plans.
“Through discussions with stakeholders, local officials, and the public, we identified topics that needed to be addressed prior to and during the closure,” said PennDOT District 1 Executive Brian McNulty. “Those items included safety and efficiency for those using East and West Front Streets to access the businesses along the waterfront, access for hospital personnel and vendors, and timing of the closure to not disrupt events planned for this summer.”
In announcing the closure, PennDOT is emphasizing the following information:
- The closure will not start until after Labor Day, September 1, 2025, and therefore, will not disrupt the Tall Ships Erie Festival event planned for August.
- East Front Street and West Front Street Extension (north of the parkway) should only be used by drivers traveling to and from businesses on the waterfront.
- Prior to the start of the closure, stop signs, temporary signals, speed humps, and/or additional crosswalks will be installed along East Front Street and West Front Street Extension north of the parkway to slow traffic and provide improved safety for pedestrians.
- Temporary traffic signals, and push-button pedestrian signals will be installed at the intersection of East Third Street and French Street, and the intersection of East Third Street and Holland Street. The pedestrian push-button system at the intersection of Holland Street and Bayfront Parkway will be updated to include an audible component.
- The closure is expected to last for approximately 12 to 14 months. Drivers are encouraged to use 12th Street, which will be the recommended detour, or use other routes for cross-city traffic in preparation for the closure.
- The closure of the Bayfront Parkway allows the project to maintain the original competition goal of 2027.
Drivers are also reminded that State Street will be closed between Second Street and the parkway starting July 21, 2025. This closure is expected to remain in place with the Bayfront Parkway closure. View the State Street closure map.
The City of Erie will also be making updates to the parking and traffic patterns on certain roads in the area of State Street south of the parkway. Roadway updates for Erie streets can be found on the city’s website.
Temporary pedestrian access along State Street and across the Bayfront Parkway is planned for August 21 to 24, 2025 to accommodate the expected increase in foot traffic during the Tall Ships Erie Festival.
The overall scope and design of the project has not changed. Information on the project and construction at Sassafras Street Extension, State Street, and Holland Street, including renderings, videos and an online comment form, is available online at penndot.pa.gov/bayfrontparkwayproject as well as in the project Facebook group.
Questions and comments about the project can also be submitted by email to BayfrontProject@pa.gov.
The contractor is a Joint Venture between Brayman Construction Corporation and Trumbull Corporation. The contract cost is $113,331,060.91, which is to be paid with a combination of state and federal funds.
This year PennDOT’s Northwest Region expects to work on more than 100 projects. To see a full listing of all the anticipated work, check out the 2025 Construction Book located under the Partner Resources section at www.penndot.pa.gov/District1.
PennDOT urges motorists to slow down when driving in work zones, and also to be alert to changing conditions, avoid distractions and to pay attention to signs and flaggers. Drive responsibly in work zones for your safety and the safety of the workers.
Motorists can check conditions on major roadways 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.
Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties at www.penndot.pa.gov/District1.
Information about infrastructure in District 1, including completed work and significant projects, is available at www.penndot.pa.gov/D1Results. Find PennDOT’s planned and active construction projects at www.projects.penndot.gov.
Find PennDOT news for the northwest region on X or Facebook.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Jill Harry, 814-678-5035 or jharry@pa.gov
