Next Steps

To facilitate the Final Design Process, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) divided the proposed 24-mile Expressway into 13 design sections. Each design section has its own consultant team to address the design challenges and specific circumstances of the communities in that area. To date the Design Teams have accomplished the following:

•  Refined the alignment and the geometry of the roadway
•  Identified grading and drainage needs
•  Determined the stability of the land for structures and roadway pavement
•  Refined interchange configurations
•  Determined retaining wall locations
•  Develop landscaping concepts
•  Identified the type, size and locations of bridges and other structures
•  Incorporated environmental mitigation measures and identify permit requirements
•  Developed lighting and signing concepts
•  Survey and flag the alignment
•  Evaluated the need for traffic signals
•  Identified property limits

The corresponding effects on social, economic, natural and cultural resources have been updated, and minimized where possible. In doing so, the PTC and its design teams coordinated with local municipalities, emergency service providers, school districts, and utility and railroad companies. The refined engineering plans were provided to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for technical review, and Design Field Views were held. The remainder of the work to complete Final Design is dependent on available funding. Once a funding source is identified, the PTC can proceed with preparing exact right-of-way plans, acquiring property, and completing the plans, specifications, and estimates for construction.