Mon–Fayette Expressway

The Mon–Fayette Expressway is an interstate tolled freeway that is planned to eventually link Interstate 68 near Morgantown, West Virginia with Interstate 376 near Pittsburgh. The ultimate goal of the highway is to provide a high speed north-south connection between Morgantown and the eastern side of Pittsburgh while revitalizing the economically distressed towns in Fayette and Washington counties, serving as an alternative to Interstate 79 to the west. In addition, a second branch in Allegheny County will provide a bypass to the Squirrel Hill Tunnel.

Although it is being built to Interstate Highway standards, most of the freeway is not expected to become part of the Interstate Highway System.^[1] As a result, the highway uses state highway monikers instead, as it does not parallel an existing U.S. Route for its entire length, though it does parallel U.S. Route 40 and U.S. Route 119 for portions of its length. The route, in its three jurisdictions, uses the number 43 for familiarity-based reasons, and is thusly known as West Virginia Route 43, Pennsylvania Route 43, and PA Turnpike 43. Most of the route is maintained by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, while the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation maintains small portions of the highway near Uniontown, and the West Virginia Division of Highways maintains the short section in West Virginia. Despite the numerous agencies overseeing the highway, it is one continuous highway. South of Jefferson Hills, the Mon-Fayette Expressway is complete except for a short segment south of Brownsville, which is planned to open in 2012. Construction on the final 24-mile (39 km) stretch that will connect the highway's current northern terminus at Jefferson Hills to Pittsburgh and Monroeville is pending due to funding limitations.^[1]

History

The Mon–Fayette Expressway designation is derived from the Monongahela River and Fayette County because initially, the highway was proposed in the 1950s as a way to link the coke- and steel-producing towns situated in the Monongahela River Valley. The coke and steel industry waned in the 1970s and nearly collapsed in the early 1980s. Today, the Monongahela River Valley considers the expressway to be an important tool for economic redevelopment.

The construction history of the Mon–Fayette Expressway is complex. PennDOT initiated construction in 1973, and the first segment opened in 1977.^[1] This segment consisted of a partial cloverleaf interchange at U.S. Route 40 and a 2-mile (3.2 km) stretch of four-lane highway that spurred south of the new interchange toward Fredericktown. Despite severe financial constraints, PennDOT built the remainder of the ramps at the U.S. 40 cloverleaf along with a separate 2-mile (3.2 km) stretch of highway near California in the early 1980s.^[1] Once construction stalled, the project was transferred to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) under Act 61 legislation in 1985.^[1] While PennDOT assessed preliminary engineering and right-of-way options in the 1970s and early 1980s, the PTC accelerated design work and began unveiling detailed plans in earnest by the late 1980s.^[1] Funding appropriated through the PTC allowed construction to resume in 1988, and on October 12, 1990, the entire stretch from U.S. Route 40 to Interstate 70 opened to traffic.^[1] Initially, the PTC did not have adequate funding to construct new sections, but Representative Austin Murphy secured congressional funds that directed PennDOT to build a 4-mile (6.4 km) stretch of the expressway south of Uniontown.^[1] Aside from being part of a larger project, the new segment was designed to provide high speed access between the Uniontown bypass, Fairchance, and a new business park. This section, dubbed the Chadville Demonstration Project, opened in November 1992.

In the early 1990s, the Pennsylvania State Legislature passed a bill that hypothecated a portion of the state’s fuel excise revenue to the PTC. This new revenue stream initially provided the funding to complete an 8-mile (13 km) section from the southern terminus of the Chadville Demonstration Project to the West Virginia state line as well as a 17-mile (27 km) section from the Interstate 70 interchange to Pennsylvania Route 51 in Jefferson Hills. On March 1, 2000, most of the section between the Chadville Demonstration Project and the West Virginia state line opened to traffic.^[1] The entire segment from Interstate 70 to Route 51 was open by April 12, 2002,^[1] which included the Joe Montana Bridge, named after the Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback who grew up in the immediate area in nearby Monongahela, Pennsylvania.^[2]

In 2006, construction began on a 17-mile (27 km) stretch that will connect the oldest section of the expressway near Fredericktown to the northern terminus of the Chadville Demonstration Project. This is known locally as the "Uniontown-to-Brownsville Project". Due to limited funding, construction on this section was split into two phases. The first phase involved construction of an 8-mile (13 km) section of expressway running parallel to a hazardous stretch of U.S. Route 40 between Brownsville and Uniontown. Phase 1 opened on October 23, 2008.^[1] The second phase consists of a 9-mile (14 km) section that will connect the first phase of this project to the oldest portion of the expressway near Fredericktown. Additionally, the second phase includes a directional T interchange at U.S. Route 119 in Uniontown. Construction on phase 2 is nearing completion, and the new interchange at U.S. Route 119 opened on December 13, 2010[8] while the remainder of phase 2 is planned to be open by mid-2012. The connection to the northern end of the Chadville Demonstration Project has been accomplished via U.S. 119, and U.S. 119 between the new interchange and the Chadville Demonstration Project received a dual PA 43 route designation (even though it is poorly signed).

In West Virginia, construction commenced in 2000 but progressed slowly due to limited funding. By the end of 2003, only the Rubles Run Bridge and two pieces of highway totaling little more than 2.5 miles (4.0 km) were completed. Over the next few years, construction inched ahead. By 2009, the Morgan Run Bridge was finished, and local roads near Cheat Lake were re-built to accommodate the expressway. The final contracts to build the Cheat Lake and Interstate 68 interchanges were respectively awarded in December 2008 and July 2009, partly as a result of an ARRA fund infusion.^[3][4] On July 11, 2011, officials in West Virginia opened their 4-mile (6.4 km) section of the Mon-Fayette Expressway. Likewise, the PTC opened the southernmost 1.7 miles (2.7 km) in Pennsylvania, which sat unused for over a decade. Noteworthy features on the West Virginia section include two high-level bridges, along with the I-68 interchange, which is a hybrid design that utilizes both high-speed ramps and at-grade intersections. A second phase for this interchange is planned, but that project will not be undertaken until traffic volumes merit.^[5] If the second phase is built, the I-68 interchange will be upgraded to a directional T.

The connection between Jefferson Hills and I-376 is in limbo.^[1] All environmental clearances have been obtained, and right-of-way acquisition has begun. However, construction is expected to cost at least $3.6 billion, and funding has not been identified. A public-private partnership was explored but nothing feasible resulted. It is unlikely that any new construction will commence in the near future unless a new tax is imposed or private funding identified.

Toll configuration

The Mon–Fayette Expressway is a toll road for much of its length. Unlike the Pennsylvania Turnpike mainline and the Northeast Extension, which uses long-distance tickets, the Mon–Fayette Expressway collects fixed tolls at regular intervals. In addition, auxiliary toll plazas exist on certain on- and off-ramps. In 2008, the PTC retrofitted all toll plazas to accept E-ZPass, and Express E-ZPass lanes are available at the newer toll plazas.^[6]

In West Virginia, legislators have flip-flopped a few times regarding whether their section will be a toll road. When tolls were first proposed, West Virginia had planned to work with the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission to collect tolls at the existing Pennsylvania mainline plaza, but this plan was not accepted by the West Virginia Legislature. Instead, West Virginia planned to construct a toll plaza north of Goodwin Hill Road.^[7][8] West Virginia officials also contemplated whether to use all-electronic tolling or a more traditional tolling scheme. In the end, tolling plans were scrapped by West Virginia's legislature. Rejection resulted from concerns related to camera enforcement, billing, and operational costs. However, West Virginia reserves the right to levy tolls in the future if these issues are settled.^[9]

Exit list

Criticism

The roadway has generated controversy in Allegheny County.^[10] Critics often point to the low traffic volumes on the existing segments to help justify their dissent. Critics claim that such low volumes prove that the expressway is unfeasible. Supporters also consider the low traffic volume, but they claim that traffic volumes are low because of the segmented nature of the overall highway.^[11]

Related roads

In the 1990s, the Mon–Fayette Expressway project was expanded to include another highway, which is commonly referred to as the Southern Beltway. The Southern Beltway is planned to be a high-speed east-west link between the Mon–Fayette Expressway, Interstate 79, U.S. Route 22, Interstate 376, and Pittsburgh International Airport. A 6-mile (9.7 km) section of the beltway between Pittsburgh International Airport/Interstate 376 and U.S. Route 22 opened to traffic in 2006.^[12] The new road has been designated as Pennsylvania Route 576.

The PTC built several non-tolled roads in conjunction with the Uniontown-to-Brownsville project. One such road outside of Brownsville extended a four-lane section of U.S. Route 40, eliminating a forty-year-old freeway stub in the process. Another road connecting U.S. Route 40 and Pennsylvania Route 51 was built near Uniontown. These roads were necessary to provide access to Exits 22 and 15 respectively, but the access routes were also designed to improve local connections and foster economic development.

References

External links

• Mon-Fayette Expressway MapPDF
• Interstate 68 & Cheat Neck Interchange VisualPDF
• WV 43 Remaining WorkPDF
• Pennsylvania Highways – PA Turnpike 43
• What is a megaproject?
• Interstate 79 to Mon/Fayette Expressway Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission
• CONSAD Report to the Urban Land Institute on the Financing of the Mon/Fayette and Southern Beltway Toll RoadsPDF (May 10, 2006)
• Mon/Fayette Expressway, Uniontown to Brownsville Project