The Mon/Fayette Expressway Project from PA Route 51 to Interstate 376 would extend the Mon/Fayette system north from Route 51 in Jefferson Hills in southeastern Allegheny County to two interchanges with the Parkway East (I-376) – one in Monroeville/Penn Hills and one in the City of Pittsburgh near Second Avenue and Bates Street.  The purpose of this project is to provide safe, efficient transportation improvements that will complement the regional transportation network, enhance the accessibility to both social services and industrial development sites located along the Monongahela River Valley, and to relieve traffic on the congested local roadways in southeastern and eastern Allegheny County.

The Preliminary Engineering and Environmental Clearance Phase of the Transportation Project Development Process is now completed for this project.  The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) signed the Record of Decision (ROD) on December 7, 2004 issuing environmental clearance and identifying the Selected Alternative for this project.  The Project is currently in Final Design. 

The Final Design Process involves the refinement of the Selected Alternative, the development of a Right-of-Way (ROW) Plan, ROW acquisition, and preparation of detailed Plans, Specifications and Estimates (PS&E) that ultimately will be used to construct the Expressway.  To facilitate this process, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) has divided the proposed 24-mile Expressway into 13 design sections to ensure the proper engineering expertise is available for the various components of the Expressway.  Each design section has its own consultant team to address the design challenges and specific circumstances of the communities in that area. 

The initial phase of Final Design has been completed. However, additional funding is needed to complete the plans, specifications, and estimates, which contractors need to acquire the project right-of-way and construct the Expressway.

Once all ROW has been acquired and the PS&E is approved, the PS&E package will be used to solicit construction bids and subsequently, select the construction contractors.

Total project costs for the Selected Alternative are estimated at $1.9 billion.