INDUSTRY — Heavy rains overnight caused three landslides that have closed roads in Beaver and Allegheny County, PennDOT said.
They include a Monday morning landslide on Route 68 in Industry between Wolf’s Run and the Shippingport Bridge, PennDOT assistant county manager Michele Yeager said.
“It’s an active slide right now,” Yeager said at 9:30 a.m.
On Monday afternoon, Beaver County Emergency Services said the road will remain closed until Tuesday.
PennDOT workers were on their way to the scene to determine what needs to be done to open the road, which is closed and is expected to remain closed most of Monday, Yeager said.
The landslide happened about a mile east of the Shippingport Bridge.
Eastbound traffic is being turned around at the bridge and westbound traffic is being rerouted at Wolf Run Road, PennDOT said.
Landslides also closed Brodhead Road between Flaugherty Run and Shafer roads in Moon Township and Guys Run Road between Locust Hill and Freeport roads in Hamar Township in Allegheny County, PennDOT said.
Late Monday night, Route 51 near Sulli's Towing in Fallston was closed due to hill slides, according to Fallston Borough Fire Department. A stretch of Darlington Road also was closed.
The Darlington Road closure was from Cove Hill north to Par Avenue, covering 0.8 miles. The Route 51 closure covered a 1-mile stretch from Cove Hill north through Wildwood Drive. One lane of Route 51 was completely covered with the hill still sliding, according to the department.
Steady rain started Sunday afternoon and the wet weather is expected to continue through Thursday afternoon, said Lee Hendricks, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Moon Township.
“And I can’t emphasize enough that there’s still a possibility for (more) landslides,” Hendricks said, noting that Snake Hill in Moon Township, which was closed last week, was also closed Monday morning.
Between Sunday and Monday, 1.69 inches of rain were recorded at Montgomery Lock and Dam, which is near where the Route 68 landslide happened, and throughout the region between 1 and 2 1/2 inches fell.
The rain is expected to change to snow Monday afternoon, with no accumulation, but it could make for icy bridges and overpasses, Hendricks said.
“Black ice will be a consideration for the (Tuesday morning) commute,” he said.
The rain is expected to continue through Thursday afternoon, when drier weather is expected and temperatures should return to normal for early spring with highs in the 50s over the weekend.