The widening of the Pennsylvania Turnpike between Cranberry and New Stanton (Irwin: design, build)

[ki0eh]

Is that why the guy last Tuesday was adding more asphalt to the road?

[Craziaskowboi]

Originally Posted by kjtocool

Awesome information, are there any plans to make similar upgrades to the various two lane segments of the turnpike further east? I suppose my curiosity is centered around the question: Are they attempting to make the entire PA Turnpike a 3 lane well crafted road, and if so, is there a target completion date?

They're reconstructing the Turnpike incrementally. Most of the completed work has been done in western Pennsylvania, but the rest of the state seems to be in line for upgrades as well.

In central Pennsylvania, I know that they've built new bridges over the Susquehanna River, and they're in the process of rebuilding and widening the Turnpike between the Blue Mountain and Carlisle interchanges (MM 199 to MM 226), and there are plans within the next eight years to rebuild and widen between the Carlisle interchange and the Susquehanna River Bridges (MM 226 to MM 247).

In eastern Pennsylvania, they're finally building a direct interchange between the Turnpike and I-95, and they're going to reroute I-95 along the existing Turnpike alignment across the Delaware River into New Jersey. They're also going to rebuild and widen the Turnpike between the Downingtown and Valley Forge interchanges (MM 312 to MM 326) in two stages. The Northeast Extension in Montgomery County is soon to be rebuilt and widened as well. Currently, work is being done on a segment from the Turnpike to the Lansdale interchange, and after that, work will be done from the Lansdale interchange to the Bucks County line.

Back in western Pennsylvania, they're in the process of rebuilding and widening between the Warrendale Toll Plaza and the Butler Valley interchange (MM 31 to MM 38), and they're about to do the same to the segment between the Butler Valley and Allegheny Valley interchanges (MM 40 to MM 48). As you saw, work has finished between the Irwin and New Stanton interchanges (MM 67 to MM 75), which leaves an 18-mile segment between the Allegheny River Bridges and the Irwin interchange (MM 49 to MM 67) as the missing link to having six lanes non-stop through the Pittsburgh area between the Cranberry and New Stanton interchanges (MM 28 to MM 75).

The Turnpike has also been rebuilt between the New Stanton interchange and the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel (MM 75 to MM 122) with the exception of a 10-mile segment from the Westmoreland/Somerset County line to the Somerset interchange (MM 99 to MM 109), which will be rebuilt eventually. Basically, this means that 66 of the 94 miles of highway between the Cranberry interchange and the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel (MM 28 to MM 122) have either been rebuilt already, or are being rebuilt right now. (Groundbreaking for the Butler Valley-to-Allegheny Valley segment will be early in 2012.)

There's also a proposal to replace the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel, either with a bypass or with another set of tubes. Regardless of how it's replaced, I expect there to be room for six lanes so that the Turnpike can be six-laned all the way to the Breezewood interchange (MM 161).

So far, there have been no plans for rebuilding and widening the Turnpike between the Harrisburg East and Downingtown interchanges (MM 247 to MM 312), but I'm sure it's in the long-term plans. I also doubt that the segment between the Breezewood and Blue Mountain interchanges (MM 161 to MM 199) will ever be six-laned due to the Tuscarora, Kittatinny and Blue Mountain Tunnels only having enough room for four lanes.

[kjtocool]

Damn tunnels.

Appreciate the info.

[Craziaskowboi]

Originally Posted by kjtocool

Damn tunnels.

Appreciate the info.

The tunnels are no big deal to me. The segment between the Breezewood and Blue Mountain interchanges is only 38 miles long, and the terrain through that area is the most difficult of all, so there's nothing wrong with keeping it four lanes, especially since traffic on that segment is the lightest of all. And even if the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel is replaced with another set of tubes, the new tubes will likely be large enough for three lanes in each direction, which, like I said, will allow for six uninterrupted lanes all the way from Cranberry to Breezewood.

I should also add that the timeframe is indefinite. It won't happen overnight, though. The state of Georgia has been rebuilding and widening I-75 since the late 1980's, and only next year will the last remaining segment in Georgia be finished. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission began rebuilding the Turnpike in the late 1990's, so the entire highway will probably be rebuilt sometime by the early to mid-2020's.

[ki0eh]

Where does Bedford to Breezewood fit in the schedule?

[Craziaskowboi]

Originally Posted by ki0eh

Where does Bedford to Breezewood fit in the schedule?

I suspect that the segments between the Allegheny Valley and Irwin interchanges (MM 49 to MM 67), the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel and Breezewood interchange (MM 123 to MM 161), and the Harrisburg East and Downingtown interchanges (MM 247 to MM 312), will be the last ones to be rebuilt.

The Allegheny Valley-to-Irwin segment passes through a densely-populated area, has several long bridge spans, and would necessitate a high-speed reconfiguration of the Pittsburgh interchange (MM 57). The Allegheny Mountain Tunnel-to-Breezewood segment would be contingent upon bypassing the existing tunnel either with a mountain pass or a new pair of three-lane tubes, so there's no point in widening anything to the east of Allegheny Mountain until the Turnpike Commission decides how to approach the mountain. The Harrisburg East-to-Downingtown segment is still in acceptable condition despite its age, and especially in comparison to the segments in western Pennsylvania that had crumbling roadbeds. (This is why rebuilding work began in western Pennsylvania first.)

[jimsmith022968]

Interstates 79, 70 and 76 effectively form a triangular-shaped beltway around Pittsburgh. However, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) is planning to construct a partial beltway around the southern end of Pittsburgh. To date, only a 6-mile section near the airport has been completed. This section, known locally as the Findlay Connector, has facilitated economic growth at one of its rural interchanges.

[Love2Golf09]

Originally Posted by jimsmith022968

Interstates 79, 70 and 76 effectively form a triangular-shaped beltway around Pittsburgh. However, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) is planning to construct a partial beltway around the southern end of Pittsburgh. To date, only a 6-mile section near the airport has been completed. This section, known locally as the Findlay Connector, has facilitated economic growth at one of its rural interchanges.

70 is far too south for that. The southern beltway was going to be the mon-fayette expressway expanding across the mon and splitting, heading downtown and the other section east towards monroeville, or something like that. The other part of the mfe would head west from probably finleyville, intersect 79, then link up with the other completed portion by the airport. of course, this will never be completed. It was a nice idea, but the cost is insane. Perhaps if they had started the MFE with the section that goes from 51 to the parkway east, then people would have seen the benefit and supported more of it. Simply connecting that part of the south hills with the eastern suburbs would have generated a lot of jobs and growth. It may have been what 79 is to the western half of allegheny county.

[PITairport]

Originally Posted by Love2Golf09

of course, this will never be completed. It was a nice idea, but the cost is insane. Perhaps if they had started the MFE with the section that goes from 51 to the parkway east, then people would have seen the benefit and supported more of it. Simply connecting that part of the south hills with the eastern suburbs would have generated a lot of jobs and growth. It may have been what 79 is to the western half of allegheny county.

No doubt the MFE was started on the wrong end. If only it was started on the Pittsburgh end and reached at least I -70. I do hope it is completed one day.

As far as the Turnpike reconstruction is concerned, I am disappointed it does not include an exit between Monroeville and Irwin, in the N Huntington area; as well as an exit a couple miles on the east side of the Allegheny river.

[neurodistortion]

Originally Posted by PITairport

As far as the Turnpike reconstruction is concerned, I am disappointed it does not include an exit between Monroeville and Irwin, in the N Huntington area; as well as an exit a couple miles on the east side of the Allegheny river.

The plan years back was to build a series of EZ Pass-only ramps between the Irwin and Monroeville interchanges to access Route 130 in Penn Township just west of Harrison City. I don't know what happened to that idea but it would've facilitated additional growth along that stretch which is already growing regardless of the ramps.