Interchange Tying Mon/Fayette Expressway with U.S. Route 119 to Open Dec. 13

Construction of $72 million junction began in June, 2008 as part of Uniontown-to-Brownsville Project.

HARRISBURG, PA (12/10/2010)(readMedia)-- The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission today announced that its $72 million interchange that includes 1.1 miles of new expressway south of exit 15 (Old Pittsburgh Road) on Pa. Turnpike 43, Fayette County, is expected to open Monday, Dec. 13 at 9 a.m., weather permitting.

The interchange, built by Walsh Construction, Canonsburg, Pa., will provide direct north and south connections with U.S. Route 119 near the existing Pa. Route 51/U.S. Route 119 interchange and join the Mason-Dixon portion of the Mon/Fayette Expressway (Turnpike 43) from the West Virginia border near Fairchance, Pa., to Phase-1 of the Uniontown-to-Brownsville Mon/Fayette project.

The interchange opening marks the first completion of part of the Phase-2 construction begun in April, 2008. Besides the interchange, Phase-2 construction will include 8.5 miles of additional expressway from U.S. Route 40 across the Monongahela River to a connection with Pa. Route 88. All of the Phase-2, Mon/ Fayette Uniontown-to-Brownsville project is expected to open in the summer of 2012 at a cost of $445 million.

Phase-1 of the Uniontown-to-Brownsville project from Pa. Route 51 near Uniontown to the new U.S. Route 40 connector into Brownsville (about 7 miles) opened in October, 2008 at a cost of $390 million.

When the Uniontown-to-Brownsville project is complete in 2012, 60 continuous miles of the Mon/Fayette Expressway will be open to traffic between Interstate 68 in West Virginia and Pa.Route 51 in Jefferson Hills Borough, Allegheny County.

Construction of the newly opened interchange was begun in June 2008 and required building five new bridges and rehabbing two existing bridges over U.S. Route 119. Work included:

• two dual, single-span, steel-girder bridges, 190 feet long and 30 feet high;

• a three-span, continuous-steel, multi-girder bridge, 440 feet long and 56 feet high;

• one eight-span, steel curved-girder bridge, 1,164 feet long, and 30 feet high;

• one 10-span, steel, curved-girder bridge, 1,688 feet long and 30 feet high;

• two box culverts; and

• rehabilitation of two, three-span, steel-girder bridges, 240 feet long and 30 feet high.

The toll for a two-axle (passenger) vehicle, traveling from U.S. Route 119 to or from Old Pittsburgh Road (Exit 15), with E-ZPass will be $0.67 vs. $0.80 for cash-paying motorists.