Drivers are complaining about road construction again, not always because so much of it is taking place at once but because they're so often caught off guard by detours, lane restrictions and traffic backups.

The Post-Gazette offers a number of ways to check conditions in advance here on this site by checking "breaking news" or by using the "traffic" link on the upper right section of the home page for real-time conditions, highway work and related information provided via NAVTEQ Traffic.

Also, be sure to check the "news" and "transportation" pages, where the most recent Sunday Construction Guide can be found along with recent articles and previous "Getting Around" columns.

The newspaper does its best to keep readers and Web visitors abreast of developments, but face it: Some construction information slips through the cracks, and some arrives too late for print editions. Not all agencies keep the media informed, the metro region covers a lot of territory and, lastly, roadwork is often altered at the last minute because of weather, scheduling and other factors.

None of this excuses the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Pennsylvania Turnpike from doing a better job with all of the technology available today and the millions of public dollars invested in traffic information systems, such as changeable message signs, television surveillance cameras and Highway Advisory Radio channels.

And none of this should keep the two agencies from doing a better job of coordinating traffic information. One suggestion would be to use the turnpike's radio system and electronic signs to advise unwary, often out-of-state westbound motorists that if they exit at Monroeville on a Saturday when the Parkway East/I-376 is closed or restricted, they'll likely need an extra hour or two to get Downtown because of "heavy congestion."

If some of those people were diverted to Route 28 or even I-79 going to the North Shore sports venues, for instance, the Parkway East could be less crowded for everyone.

Here's what some readers have offered about the situation:

John Butela, of Glenshaw: "Am I crazy for wondering if the geeks at PennDOT are crazy or are all these construction projects their idea of fun? Specifically, I'm referring to the fact that all three mainline roads have work going on at the same time -- Parkway East, Parkway West and Parkway North."

Tony Parker, of Cheswick: "You can't say that PennBOTCH doesn't have a sense of humor. Specifically, the lane closure on Route 30 near Greensburg'' coinciding with the opening of Steelers training camp at St. Vincent College.

Marty Goldberg, of Pittsburgh: "[Last weekend], there were construction delays on the Parkway West in Robinson, which [were] noted ahead of time. What I was not prepared for was an additional inbound traffic jam at Carnegie, where two workers doing some patch work had traffic backed up [in] single file for a mile. Was this scheduled and publicized?"

C. Kirk French, of Mount Washington: "It took us 45 minutes to get from Robinson to the I-79 interchange and I noted a lot of cars were exiting on I-79 south to avoid heavy one-lane traffic. We didn't know what was causing the delay nor where the issue was. Without some idea of the location of the issue and impact, I was unable to make an informed decision."

To its credit, PennDOT since February has been staffing its multimillion-dollar Traffic Management Center in Collier on weekends and holidays, for the first time since the center was built in the late 1990s. What the staffers do there is another matter. Sleep, maybe?

Mr. Know-it-all or the PG's city desk has yet to receive a phone call or e-mail between 8 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Monday from the center to update traffic conditions, post a special traffic alert or be advised of an emergency.

PennDOT District 11 media spokesman Jim Struzzi probably issues more news releases than any other PennDOT public relations person in the state.

The releases can be found on PennDOT's Web site. Go to the main page at www.dot.state.pa.us. Click on "PennDOT Near You" and then on your appropriate district -- District 11 for Allegheny, Beaver and Lawrence counties, or District 12 if you live in Westmoreland, Washington, Fayette and Greene counties.

Mr. Struzzi e-mails District 11 news releases and traffic information to the general public. To receive releases, contact him at 412-429-5010.

"This is a large construction season and it can be difficult to encapsulate everything we are doing in the media," he wrote to Mr. French.

Turnpike spokesman Bill Capone suggests travelers, especially those who use the turnpike frequently, enroll in the Turnpike Roadway Information Program to receive special information about turnpike conditions. TRIP can include route-specific traffic, weather and construction alerts with text messages to your cell phone. You decide the days and hours. Go to www.paturnpike.com/tools/TRIP.htm to sign up.

No computer? Call the toll-free hot line, 1-866-976-8747.