Study into Route 28 expressway expansion to I-80 gets funding (Bethlehem: real estate market, homes)

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by gg

I agree. I drive up that way to Rt. 66 all the time and there is no reason for it to be expanded. Not enough traffic to justify the costs. PA doesn't need more roads, it needs to fix the ones it has in place now.

Originally Posted by villageidiot1

You should've driven it back when it alternated three lanes. I think it was the mid 1990s when the state widened it. Murrysville used to be two lanes and then it alternated a passing lane traveling east.

What's a quicker way to get to Scranton?

[gg]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

What's a quicker way to get to Scranton?

If I was going to Scranton, I would take 28n to 80e. The Turnpike is longer and cost one heck of a lot more money. Heading up to Brookville isn't that bad.

[briantroutman]

In a SimCity world where we’ve typed in the cheat code for unlimited government funds, sure, extending the PA 28 freeway between Kittanning and I-80 would be nice. But we don’t live in that world.

I’ve taken the PA 28/I-80 route on numerous trips between Pittsburgh and my hometown of Williamsport. Despite PA 28’s shortcomings, it’s probably my preferred route from Pittsburgh to points northeast. The biggest annoyance along the corridor (as a through motorist) is the tiny twin borough pair of South Bethlehem and New Bethlehem—where, traveling northbound, a steep downhill grade is followed by a sharp elbow turn and relatively slow slog through a 25 MPH zone and a few traffic signals. Simply bypassing the pair of boroughs would have the greatest impact, but I don’t think even that is necessary.

[villageidiot1]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

What's a quicker way to get to Scranton?

From Polish Hill to Scranton, Google Maps shows 4:41 (285 miles) for Route 22. It shows 4:52 (296 miles) for Route 28. I think I would take Route 28 if I lived in the Allegheny Valley or North Hills.

[WhoIsStanwix?]

I think someone got the token $250k to study this in order to make some politicians happy. $250k is not that much in terms of consulting fees, and might cover enough to draw a map, identify the number of properties that would need to be acquired, identify any really obvious major hurdles, and put a really general ballpark figure on the cost. If I were a betting person, I would say this road is not happening in the next 15 years, however politicians (and their stupidity) are really difficult to predict.

[Joe_P]

It seems like a logical extension, but like most of the region, it should have happened a half century ago.

Not sure if there is enough traffic to warrant it. It's unfortunate that Johnstown and Altoona are not linked to Pittsburgh by direct East/West Interstate (or similar limited access) highway(s).

[Geeo]

I remember reading years ago that Altoona leaders and the Pennsylvania Railroad (which had a huge operation in Altoona) purposely kept highways from being built directly to Altoona because they were afraid it would hurt their passenger railroad business.

[Joe_P]

Wasn't rail already decidedly down by time the interstate system got started?

[jmf33078]

I would like to see the state’s reasoning for wasting this money. The route 28 expressway stops outside of Kittanning. How will the state expand route 28 to more then one lane each way up to Brookville? Since 28/66 runs straight through New Bethlehem and other towns along the way

[Goinback2011]

Payoffs for campaign contributions by the consulting firm?