Media & Public Relations


COMMISSION NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Carl DeFebo
Phone: 717-920-7176
July 23, 2009
Turnpike Breaks Ground for another 6.78 Miles of Mainline Rebuild $133 million project will widen road between Warrendale
and Butler Valley

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) today broke ground on another mainline total-reconstruction and widening project between milepost 31 and 38 in Pine, Richland, Marshall and Hamptontownships, Allegheny County. The $113 million, 6.78 mile project is part of the PTC’s commitment to completely renovate all 470 miles of Turnpike mainline.

“I am pleased to be here to begin another installment on our promise to rebuild the road from the ground up,” said Turnpike CEO Joe Brimmeier. “Today, more than ever, our customers are seeing their toll dollars at work, renewing and widening the Turnpike for a smoother, safer ride.”

Completion of the project is anticipated for November 2012.

“When this project is finished in three years, 24.8 miles of Turnpike will have been rebuilt between the Ohio line and New Stanton,” Brimmeier noted. “In all, we’re spending $566 million on mainline projects here on the western expanse of the toll road.”

The PTC’s Southwestern Pennsylvania projects include the recently rebuilt portion of the mainline between milepost 0-10, the construction of a new Allegheny Rive Bridge, a total rebuild of 8 miles of roadway between Irwin and New Stanton and the reopening of the New Stanton Service Plaza in May.

Full-depth reconstruction and widening of roadway will consist of 22 inches of pavement and six inches of sub-base and all new drainage. Newly reconstructed shoulders and median will be 9 inches of pavement and 9 inches of sub-base. There will be an extension of four culverts that run under the Turnpike and modification of two existing culverts. Old State Road (T-574) will be realigned and four mainline bridges will be replaced. They are: Bakerstown-Warrendale Road (SR 4068), Graham Road (SR 4052), Pearce Mill Road (SR 4063), and Old State Road (T-574).

As a result of permitting with the Department of Environmental Protection Agency (DEP) and U.S. Corp of Engineers, the PTC will construct wetlands on the eastbound side of the Turnpike near mile post 33.55 along Pearce Mill Road (SR4063) in Pine Township and another in North Park. This project will also include construction of a multi-use trail along Graham Road in Pine Township as part of an extensive roadside development plan.

As a prelude to this project and under separate contracts four early action bridges were rebuilt between 2005 and 2008 at a cost of $18,599,456. They were: Franklin Road bridge (WB-405) MP 31.22 (SR 4061), Hardt Road bridge (WB-415) MP 37.46 (SR 4605), Babcock Boulevard Bridge (WB-410) MP 34.68 (SR 4031) and Gibsonia Road bridge (WB 414) MP 36.25 SR 0910).

With the exception of some off-peak single lane patterns, two lanes of traffic in each direction will remain open. The Joseph B. Fay Co. is general contractor and Management Engineering Corp. is construction manager.

Turnpike travelers who want to learn more about the project can visit the “Major Design/Construction Projects” section of the Turnpike web site, www.paturnpike.com.

 

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