New 8 mile (13km) stretch of Mon Fayette Exwy officially opened by Penn Pike Commission

They "cut the ribbon" officially this morning on the latest segment of the Mon Fayette Expressway (MFE) south of Pittsburgh PA. Called Phase 1 of the Uniontown to Brownsville segment it is 8.2 miles (13.2km) stretching between Uniontown and Redstone Township. Phase 1 is 2+2 expressway lanes, parallel with and just north of US40, along the route of the National Road, later the National Pike and in the early 20th century the Lincoln Highway. (Logo at top right is from PTC artwork)

At the southern end near Uniontown it begins in a 3-level T-interchange with an established expressway standard Uniontown Bypass US119. Very close by going north is a diamond interchange called Exit 15 at Old Pittsburgh Road. The main interchange is not completed in this phase. There will be ramp tolls on the south facing ramps on the diamond.

Two major runs are crossed with steel girder bridges.

About midway at MP18.1 is Exit 18, another diamond interchange with Searrights Road. There are ramp tolls on the south facing ramps again. Tolling on the ramps is by transponder or via cash machines in two lanes - which take bills or coins and dispense change. There's a third inside lane for transponders-only.

At MP19.5 there is a mainline toll plaza called M19 - open road electronic tolling through the middle, 2 lanes each direction and three mixed mode lanes off to the side each direction. The mixed mode lanes handle transponders or motorsts stopping to pay with bills or coins at the cash machines.

The mainline toll plaza is always manned by an attendant who can speak to motorists in the cash machine lanes by intercom, and deal with small problems with the machines.

Phase 1 ends as an expressway at Exit 22 at MP21.9. A new 2-lane road about 1.5 miles long (2.3km) takes traffic heading north into Brownsville Township joining US40 again for now.

Toll rates

Cash toll rates are 95c for cars and 95c extra per axle fro $3.75 for tractor-trailers at the mainline plaza. At the ramp plazas the cash rates are 65c for cars and 65c/extra axle. Transponder toll rates are a tiny one or two cent discount.

Phase 2 work under way

Construction has begun on Phase 2 which swings the expressway west of Brownsville Township bridging two more runs to a diamond interchange, Exit 26 at Telegraph Road where there will be tolls on the north facing ramps.

Big Mon River bridge

The expressway will then cross the Monongahela River on a new high level bridge 975m (3200ft) long of seven spans. Longest span in the center will be 158m (518ft) with other spans only slightly less. The central span will be 50m (160ft) above normal river levels, the river being actiuvely used by barge traffic. On top of the piers will be a post-tensioned cast-in-place concrete box girder, built by the balanced cantilever method in which the girder is advanced on both sides of each pier until they meet midspan.

The bridge deck will be 27.23m (89.4ft) wide parapet to parapet allowing for two travel lanes, full rightside shoulders (all 3.66m or 12ft), leftside offsets and a central meidan barrier. A contract for construction of the bridge - designed by HNTB - has been let for $95m. (The visualization of the bridge nearby is of an alternative steel girder bridge discarded in favor of concrete box girder on economic grounds.)

Swing right

After the bridge the expressway will swing hard right and easterly to an awkward skewed diamond interchange Exit 28 at PA88. Here there will be more tolls on the north facing ramps. The expressway then joins a long opened portion of the MFE in California township at US40, an existing old cloverleaf interchange. From there along the old MFE segment it is a short distance to Interstate 70.

Today's Phase 1 opening ceremony was deferred a week out of respect for a construction worker killed Oct 20 on Phase 2 work.

Ground was broken on Phase 1, opened today, on Apr 1 2006.

Phase 1 was built with six construction contracts totaling $197m.

Ground was broken on Phase 2 April 24 2008 and it is due to be completed at the end of 2011 or early 2012. Phase 2 which is another 8.8 miles (14km) of expressway includes work on missing ramps at the interchange at the Uniontown end and the big river bridge will have a construction cost of $412m.

The whole 17 miles (27.4km) providing 68 lane-miles (110 lane-km) is a construction cost of about $610m and a project costing $850m or $12.5m/lane-mile ($7.8m/lane-km).

Parallel US50 Heritage Road to revert to horsedrawn vehicles only (HDVO)?

In planning Phase 1 account had to be taken of the status of parallel US40 which follows the route of the late 18th century National Road, later the National Pike, and in the early 20th century the Lincoln Highway. It was recently designated the National Road Heritage Park by the US Congress. US40's new 'historic' status serves to inhibit moves to modernize it into a higher speed road.

This conveniently will inhibit US40 as a free competitor to the MFE tollroad.

No proposals yet to designate US40 for horse-drawn vehicles only!

But if toll collection on the MFE lags, perhaps that could be considered to assist the Turnpike Commission?

Maybe as a compromise, if locals object, steam-driven vehicles could be allowed too.

TOLLROADSnews 2008-10-30  REVISIONS 2008-10-31 11:40, 14:00