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June 7, 2001

TRAFFIC ADVISORY:
Southbound Phase of 2.2-Mile Rebuild on 
California Toll Road Begins Tuesday, June 12

Effective Tuesday, June 12 and continuing until late August, the southbound lanes on a 2.2-mile section of Turnpike 43 near California, PA will be closed for reconstruction. All traffic will be directed to the recently rebuilt northbound side of the expressway, where crews are positioning barriers to establish a single lane each direction.

Single-lane patterns on the northbound and southbound sides took effect Wednesday, June 6 for the barrier work. Those patterns will continue until Tuesday, when traffic will be rerouted to temporary crossover lanes built last fall.

The northbound lanes had been under reconstruction since mid-March while all traffic was moved to the southbound side. Completed work includes repairs to the northbound entrance and exits ramps at the Elco interchange. As of June 12, the southbound entrance and exit ramps at Elco will be closed for repairs. Detours will be posted.

This $6 million reconstruction project on the oldest part of the growing Mon/Fayette Expressway system, between Milepost 32.4 and 34.6, is contracted to Norwin Construction of Irwin, PA. The 2.2 miles were built by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PENNDOT) between June 1976 and January 1980.

The existing concrete pavement structure that is 20 inches deep is being replaced with an asphalt pavement structure that will be a minimum of 24 inches deep. Work is to conclude by August 24, 2001.

PENNDOT also constructed the balance of the six-mile James J. Manderino Memorial Highway linking Interstate 70 and U.S. Route 40, which opened as part of the Pennsylvania Turnpike system on October 12, 1990.

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