Kathy Liebler                         Director of Public Information

    C   O   M   M   I   S   S   I   O   N                N   E   W   S             R   E   L   E   A   S   E

    Contact:   Lowman S. Henry  (717) 939-9551 Ext. # 2934                     October 28, 1997

         ATTENTION RADIO STATIONS: FOR ACTUALITIES RELATIVE

TO THIS NEWS RELEASE CALL THE TURNPIKE'S INFORMATION

BROADCAST SERVICE AT 1-800- 563-5425.

SAUDI ARABIAN ENGINEERS VISIT PA TURNPIKE COMMISSION

(Harrisburg, PA) -- Several highway engineers from Saudi Arabia will be spending three days with Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission officials from October 27th through October 29th exchanging information on highway construction and maintenance issues. The Saudi's are visiting as part of a program arranged by the United States Department of Transportation. They will also be spending three weeks learning the operations of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PENNDOT).

"We are pleased to be participating in a program which allows us to showcase the Pennsylvania Turnpike to a group of engineering professionals from another country,"

said Alexander Jansen, Turnpike Deputy Executive Director for Engineering & Maintenance. "The Pennsylvania Turnpike has long been internationally recognized as a leader in the field of highway transportation. This visit by our distinquished guests from Saudi Arabia allows us to once again share the knowledge we have gained over the past 57 years and to learn more about highway construction and maintainance techniques used in their nation."

The first day of their visit to the Turnpike, the Saudi's will be given a presentation explaining the history of America's first superhighway. They will then hear reports on the Turnpike's traffic policies, rehabilitation and pavement maintenance programs, and highway construction techniques.

On the second and third days of their trip, the engineers' will travel west on the Mainline of the Turnpike to view the Greensburg by-pass, the Beaver Valley Expressway and construction activities on the Mon-Fayette Expressway. They will also visit several locations where roadway construction has been recently completed or is scheduled. Visits are also planned to an interchange, a service plaza and to a Turnpike maintenance shed. The Saudi's trip will end back at the Turnpike's main administration building in Highspire with a question & answer period and concluding comments.

###

         P.O. Box 67676, Harrisburg, PA 17106-7676         Phone: (717) 939-9551         Fax: (717) 986-9649