Route 228 and its connections to Interstate 79 in Cranberry Township are expected to be open to traffic for Friday morning rush hour, according to a township announcement Thursday afternoon.

The road has been closed since Tuesday night when nine utility poles fell during a storm with high winds and rain.

Crews have put up new poles and are rewiring them.

The National Weather Service said that winds of up to 85 mph toppled power lines, causing Route 228 to close in both directions for more than two days.

The closure has caused massive traffic headaches in and around Cranberry as drivers have been forced to find alternate routes to work. The downed power lines shut down lanes in both directions of Route 228 from Route 19 to Cranberry Woods Drive.

Businesses near the affected area in Cranberry Commons, Cranberry Crossroads, and Longtree Way now remain open and accessible to traffic approaching from the east on Route 228.