Mon-Fayette Exwy Uniontown-Brownsville #2 on again - Penn Pike

Pennsylvania Turnpike CEO Joe Brimmeier confirmed last week that work will start again on the stalled second segment of the Mon-Fayette Expressway Uniontown to Brownsville. He was delivering on a promise he made to politicians in the Pittsburgh region in July when he was mustering votes for Act 42 which vastly expanded the Turnpike's powers. 

Brimmeier said tenders will be called later this year for segment 2 with the aim of starting work in the spring of 2008 and an opening to traffic in spring 2012.

The 14km (8.5mi) segment of 2x2 lane expressway involves a 918m (3,013ft) bridge over the Monongahela River. It will be of steel girder construction.

Project cost for segment 2 is put at $445m. So for 55 lane-km (34 lane-mi) cost is $8m/lane-km and $13.1m/lane-mile.

The segment has three diamond interchanges with north or west facing ramps for six ramp toll points. There is no mainline toll plaza because the segment makes use of a mainline plaza being built in segment One to the immediate east.

Segment One of 13km (8mi) and costing $390m is currently under construction for opening in the spring of 2009.

Misnaming

Small aside: these segments were originally proposed to be Uniontown to Brownsville and the name has stuck. However it makes no sense since it no longer goes to Brownsville. Opposition in Brownsville had the road moved miles to the south.

The shift makes the highway somewhat circuitous but it is still likely to be faster than the 2 lane roads that go through the middle of towns and hamlets.

Missing gap to be filled

The completion of this segment will fill a missing gap in the Mon-Fayette Expressway and by then 100km (60 miles) of continuous expressway should be open. The Mon Valley was the site of America's largest concentration of steel mills in the first half of the 20th century. These relied on barge and rail. With the demise of the old steel mills and lack of modern roads the area went into economic decline.

The projected traffic volumes on these southern segments are quite small (10k to 20k veh/day) and construction costs high so the tolls don't cover costs.

Final northern segment

There still remains the most northerly segment PA51 to I-376 in the inner suburbs of Pittsburgh – estimated to cost $2b+ – which the Turnpike has said is not financeable. A local progress association is seeking expressions of interest from investor groups for this portion.

TOLLROADSnews 2007-08-26