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

Contact:  

Joe Agnello, (724) 755-5262,  (724) 755-5142 fax
e-mail: jagnello@paturnpike.com

May 29, 2003 

TRAVEL ADVISORY

NEW WESTBOUND EXIT RAMP TO OPEN SUNDAY
 AT TURNPIKE’S CRANBERRY INTERCHANGE 

Westbound traffic exiting the Pennsylvania Turnpike (Interstate 76) at Cranberry (Milepost 28) will use a new off-ramp as of Sunday morning, June 1.

The new exit ramp is part of the reconfiguration of the Cranberry interchange that is taking place as construction continues on the Cranberry Connector, which will allow traffic to move from Interstate 76 to Interstate 79 (or vice-versa) without having to use U.S. Route 19 and Pa. Route 228.

Turnpike customers on the new westbound off-ramp will come to a fork in the ramp as they approach Route 19.

If they want to proceed south on Route 19,they will bear right at the fork and will have to yield to traffic on Route 19 as they enter Route 19. If they want to proceed north on Route 19 they will bear left at the fork and come to a stop light at U.S. Route 19. The left-turn movement onto Route 19 will be governed by the traffic signal.

The opening of the new westbound exit ramp at Cranberry is occurring simultaneously with the Turnpike’s opening of its new mainline toll barrier (Warrendale) at the former site of the Butler Service Plaza and the conversion of the mainline toll barrier near the Ohio line (Gateway) to a cash-exchange facility.

The new 13-lane Warrendale Plaza at Milepost 31 will become the western end of the Turnpike’s traditional fare ticket system. It is where westbound motorists will present their toll ticket and pay the appropriate fare and where eastbound motorists will obtain a ticket for presentation upon exit anywhere east.

E-ZPass customers will be able to use designated lanes at the Warrendale and Gateway plazas to proceed unimpeded but at the posted speed for E-ZPass lanes.

Fare collection facilities at the Turnpike’s Cranberry, Beaver Valley and New Castle interchanges will close as of Sunday morning and will be razed in the near future. Traffic entering or exiting I-76 at those locations will not have to stop.

All of the changes occurring as part of the Turnpike’s Western Toll Improvement Project will be in effect by 7 am Sunday.

Starting at approximately 5 am and effective for no more than two hours, there will be no travel on the Turnpike between the Butler Valley interchange at Milepost 39 and the Cranberry interchange at Milepost 28.

Westbound traffic will exit at Butler Valley and re-enter at Cranberry via Pa. Route 8 North, Pa. Route 228 West and U.S. Route 19 South. Eastbound traffic will exit at Cranberry and re-enter at Butler Valley via Route 19 North, Route 228 East and Route 8 South.

All motorists will receive detour cards upon exit during the transition period.

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