Contact:

Thomas Fox
Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission
Western Regional Office, New Stanton, PA
(724) 755-5260
fax: (724) 755-5142
e-mail: tfox@paturnpike.com

November 12, 2008

The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the proposed Southern Beltway Project from Interstate 79 to the Mon/Fayette Expressway (Turnpike 43) will be available for public review for a 30-day period beginning Friday, Nov. 14, 2008.

Release of the document, including a Section 404 Permit Application required by the federal Clean Water Act, is an action of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

It will be available for review through Monday, Dec. 15, 2008, at local municipal offices, libraries, legislative field offices and other public locations. It also can be reviewed on the Internet at www.paturnpike.com/MonFaySB/.

The FEIS for the estimated $730 million project identifies the 12.5-mile Green Option 1A/Tan-Red Alternative, located exclusively in Washington County, as the Preferred Alternative for the highway. A Selected Alternative will not be determined until all comments on the FEIS are fully evaluated.

The Preferred Alternative traverses Cecil Township, North Strabane Township, Peters Township, Nottingham Township and Union Township.

It would cross over Little Chartiers Creek, a portion of Canonsburg Lake (a public recreation area owned by the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission), and U.S. Route 19 approximately 1,500 feet south of Waterdam Road's intersection with Route 19.

The spans over Canonsburg Lake (approximately 53 feet high) would be designed to avoid direct, permanent impacts to fishing and boating areas.

Residential displacements associated with the Preferred Alternative are estimated at 96. There are three estimated business displacements.

Between the western end point (Interstate 79 and the Southern Beltway system west of I-79) and eastern end point (Turnpike 43), interchanges are proposed with U.S. Route 19 near Waterdam Plaza via a new connector road in North Strabane Township and with Sugar Run Road in Nottingham Township.

The Southern Beltway Interstate 79-to-Mon/Fayette Expressway Project is the easternmost of three independent but interconnected projects that would create a 32-mile tolled expressway between Pittsburgh International Airport and the Mon/Fayette Expressway.

The first six miles of the Southern Beltway system, from the Route 60 Expressway at the airport to U.S. Route 22 near Burgettstown, opened in October 2006.

Final design and right-of-way acquisition are underway for the next 13.3 miles, from U.S. Route 22 to Interstate 79.

The review period for the FEIS for the I-79 to Mon/Fayette Expressway Project will close at 4 pm Monday, Dec. 15, 2008.

Written comments should be sent to either the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, David P. Willis (Environmental Manager), P.O. Box 67676, Harrisburg, PA 17106-7676 or to the U.S Army Corps of Engineers - Pittsburgh District, William S. Moorhead Federal Building, 1000 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 (Attention - Scott A. Hans, Chief, Regulatory Branch).

Issuance of a Record of Decision by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers following the FEIS review period would allow the Turnpike Commission to proceed with final design of the Selected Alternative and the acquisition of required right-of-way.

Link to notice of FEIS/Section 404 Permit Application review locations (PDF)

Link to Southern Beltway Transportation Project, I-79 to Mon/Fayette Expressway Preferred Alternative map (JPEG)