Many drivers heading from Oakland and Schenley Park toward Downtown via the Boulevard of Allies have discovered they can't.

The Boulevard of Allies bridge that's being replaced is closed in the inbound direction as well as the outbound direction for the next 11 months as part of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's interchange improvement project.

As a result, when the bridge was closed last night, traffic was detoured several blocks up Craft Avenue to Fifth Avenue to the ramp built last year to provide a direct connection to the rest of the Boulevard of Allies in the inbound direction.

"That's why we built that ramp first," PennDOT District 11 spokesman Jim Struzzi said today.

The inbound bridge closure has received far less attention than traffic coming outbound on the Boulevard of the Allies for Phase 2 of the $29 million project. A three-page news release advising of the closings and restrictions does not mention the short detour via Craft and Fifth.

Some drivers were confused and traffic was congested yesterday around Magee-Womens Hospital.

That's another wrinkle to the traffic challenges that drivers will face through November for the second season of replacing two deteriorated boulevard bridges, improving the Boulevard-Forbes-Fifth interchange and creating a new "gateway" to Oakland's cultural, educational and medical facilities.

Tonight PennDOT plans to close Forbes Avenue to all traffic in the work zone through 6 a.m. Monday in order to start demolition of the first bridge. Workers are to remove the concrete deck, parapet, lights and electrical conduit.

During the next weekend closing, Jan. 18-20, the steel superstructure will be dropped onto Forbes Avenue.