SOMERSET — Before the National Football League (NFL) future and fandom converge in Pittsburgh, the Pennsylvania Turnpike will be a path to the draft.
As many as 700,000 NFL fans are expected to flock to the Steel City for the April 23-25 NFL Draft, and Turnpike officials expect many will travel along the toll road in the coming days.
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David Hurst is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat. Follow him on Twitter @TDDavidHurst and Instagram @TDDavidHurst.