Two new express lanes of the Mon-Fayette Expressway will open by November 20, extending the route by five miles and improving transportation, emergency response, and economic opportunities in the region.
JEFFERSON HILLS, Pa. —
Two new express lanes of the Mon-Fayette Expressway will be completed by November 20th.
Extending the 54-mile expressway by another five miles north to connect the Route 51 interchange to Camp Hollow Road in West Mifflin Borough, officials announced during a press conference Tuesday.
State Sen. Nick Pisciottano highlighted the economic and personal benefits the expansion will bring to the region.
“It’s going to open up economic and personal benefits to everybody who lives and works in the Mon Valley. This road is a big part of some of the investments we’ve seen in industry in the Mon Valley Works and CPI Industries, at Dura-Bond in McKeesport,” Pisciottano said.
Once construction is complete on both the northern and southern sections, the Mon-Fayette Expressway will stretch 68 miles from Interstate 68 near Morgantown, West Virginia, to Interstate 376 in Monroeville, Pennsylvania.
Michael Carroll, chairman of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, discussed the broader scope of infrastructure projects across the state.
“An additional $775 million of projects over the next two fiscal years will be delivered with road projects across every single county in this state and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, of course, doing a big part with respect to advancing our roadway network across Pennsylvania,” Carroll said.
The new sections will also feature an emergency access gate at State Route 885, reducing emergency response time to Allegheny Health Network Jefferson Hospital by six minutes compared to using the next interchange.
Mark Compton, CEO of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, emphasized the benefits of the new expressway sections.
“These new miles mean more choices for drivers, better connections to jobs and businesses, improved access for emergency responders, and new opportunities for communities throughout the Mon Valley,” Compton said.
Officials noted that four additional sections of the expressway remain to be built, but funding for those projects has not yet been secured.