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| Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission Awards Contracts for Southern Beltway Projects Management Firm and Bridge Contractor Hired. |
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| The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) has awarded two contracts to firms for work related to the Southern Beltway (SR 576) project between State Route 22 and a proposed interchange with Interstate 79 (I-79) in Allegheny and Washington counties in southwestern Pennsylvania. The12-mile, tolled expressway will extend from the southern terminus of the existing, six-mile Southern Beltway section, called the Findlay Connector, which opened in October 2006. It will start at State Route 22 in eastern Washington County, proceed southeast into western Allegheny County near McDonald and tie into I-79 at the Washington-Allegheny County line. "When opened to traffic, the Route 22 to I-79 project will create economic opportunities in Findlay, Robinson, Mount Pleasant, Cecil and North and South Fayette townships," said PTC Chairman William K. Lieberman. "It will provide better access to sites being developed by the Allegheny county Airport Authority and a direct link from I-79 to more than 4,000 acres of private, untapped commercial and industrial lands." CDR, Maguire, Inc. out of Pittsburgh will manage the construction of this entire project, which is anticipated to include several construction contracts at a total estimated cost of approximately $550 million. This project will require the management firm to provide cost, schedule and quality control while complying with all PTC, state and federal highway construction requirements. The first construction contract will be for a major bridge to carry the Southern Beltway over U.S. Route 22 and serve as part of the interchange linking U.S. Route 22 and the Beltway. Mosites Construction Company in Pittsburgh has been awarded the $14 million contract for this bridge project, which is expected to begin in the spring of 2014. "As a former mayor of Monroeville and former state senator representing the 45th District, I have been an ardent supporter of this highway. The fact that we are moving ahead with this project is significant news for motorists in the corridor because it will help ease congestion on arteries like the Parkway West, I-79 and Pennsylvania State Route 50," said Turnpike Commissioner, Sean Logan. "It will provide emergency-response vehicles, businesses and the public with a safer alternative to rural, two-lane roads." The Route 22 to I-79 project will extend the Southern Beltway to 19 total miles, connecting I-79 to I-376 at the Pittsburgh International Airport; it is expected to double traffic on the Findlay Connector to approximately 6,500 vehicles per day. The third and final portion of the Southern Beltway would link I-79 to the existing piece of the Mon-Fayette Expressway, near Finleyville. An alignment and timeframe for this 12.5-mile, $700-million Southern Beltway stretch has not yet been finalized. For a complete list of construction activity on the turnpike, visit www.paturnpike.com. |
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