Posted on 11/28/2017 1:04:23 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission authorized nearly $34 million in final design contracts Tuesday for an eight-mile stretch of the Mon-Fayette Expressway from Jefferson Hills to Duquesne.
If final design goes as expected, construction could begin in 2022 for the first of three remaining segments needed to finish the last 14 miles of the highway from Jefferson Hills to the Parkway East in Monroeville at a projected cost of $2.1 billion. That’s more than the $1.68 billion cost of the first 60 miles of the highway, started more than 40 years ago in northern West Virginia.
The commission’s action Tuesday increased the design contracts for three firms: CDI-Infrastructure Inc. of Pittsburgh, to $18 million from $10 million; Pennoni Associates Inc. of Philadelphia, to $26.3 million from $17.3 million; and The EADS Group Inc. of Altoona, to $15.5 million from $6.5 million.
Matt Burd, the turnpike’s manager for this project, said Tuesday the eight-mile segment of the highway has an estimated cost of $903 million and is expected to take six years to complete.
Construction funds are available through the Act 89 transportation funding bill approved by the state Legislature in 2013, said Brad Heigel, the turnpike’s chief engineer. But the turnpike has to manage the available money for a number of projects, including the Southern Beltway, and can’t be sure when future work might be done.
“The money is available, but there are a lot of moving parts,” Mr. Heigel said. “Until we bid our estimates, we don’t know what the actual costs will be. I equate it to managing your checkbook. We can only do what we can afford.”
(Excerpt) Read more at post-gazette.com ...
And dumping even MORE traffic onto the Parkway East in the morning is supposed to help HOW, exactly?
When there is that much money available the project drags on and on and on
Carter was president
I can’t speak for 40 years ago. But 30 years ago, the Pennsylvania Turnpike was dangerous. I think they originally paved over wagon trails. 10 years ago it was still bad but that was because of the construction and lane restrictions on already shoulder-less highways.
I think they built the entire US highway system in less time than they have been trying to “re-build” the turnpike.
Originally the Turnpike route west of Harrisburg was going to be a railway.
With all the Turnpike posts, you may be a Road Geek.
If you miss Florida’s color coded US Highway signs.
If you hate nutered Interstate signs.
If you know why I-99 is so wrong.
Come and join us:
www.aaroads.com
Gosh! I was born and raised in Large, pa- Jefferson Hills. Seems this just keep going on.
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