Perfect Harmony By Patricia Bodack

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission realizes the importance of our environment and is striving to improve and enhance it in a number of ways. All across the Turnpike you'll find employees using alternative fuels, recycled products and working to protect our environment.

For instance, any time wetlands are disturbed during a construction project, the Pennsylvania Turnpike replaces or rebuilds new wetlands to accommodate wildlife in the area. Currently, a wetland project is underway along the Beaver Valley Expressway (Turnpike 60) in North Beaver Township.

Additional wetland projects have been completed near Shawnee State Park, adjacent to the Turnpike's main line in Bedford County, along the Amos K. Hutchinson Bypass (Turnpike 66) near New Stanton and in South Park Township as part of the Mon-Fayette Route 51 to Pittsburgh project.

Special attention is sometimes given to the birds who inhabit these wetland areas by installing bird and bat boxes or Mallard Duck tubes. Turnpike maintenance crews have installed special bat boxes to protect bat colonies found in abandoned tunnels at Laurel Hill and Sideling Hill, and at an old railroad tunnel in Somerset County.

Between the Ft. Littleton (Exit # 13) and Lebanon-Lancaster (Exit # 20) interchanges on the Turnpike's main line, over 200 bird boxes were installed with the help of Bird Buddies. And, on the James J. Manderino Highway (Turnpike 43) near California, PA, and Turnpike 66, several Blue Bird boxes have been installed in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Game Commission and local scouting groups.

In a cooperative effort with the group Pheasants Forever, the Turnpike has planted warm season grasses along Turnpike 43. A mixture of grasses and wild flowers were planted to attract pheasants and other wildlife, providing natural nesting grounds and habitats.

Also along Turnpike 43, separate cooperative efforts with the United Way and local high schools, as well as local scouting groups have allowed us to plant 800 trees, including Red Oaks, White Oaks and Dogwood trees.

Recycling efforts aimed at protecting and saving the resources in our environment are also in progress at the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.

Fueling vehicles with alternative fuels and recycling by-products for our concrete mixes are a few ways the Turnpike is doing its part to protect resources and to be user-friendly to the environment.

Fly ash, a by-product of steel, has been shown to be useful in concrete mixes across the country. Fly ash is a fine, powdery substance. Up until the late 1980's most of the fly ash in the United States had been discarded. It is now used in concrete mixes to help lubricate and strengthen the mixtures. The Turnpike utilizes the mix whenever possible.

Other natural environmental efforts have prompted the Turnpike to use soybeans in alternative fueling. Known as biodiesel, the fuel made from soybeans has helped the Turnpike in its search for alternative fuels.

Seventy-five percent of the vehicles owned and operated by the Turnpike run on diesel fuel. Biodiesel has been shown to be a useful alternative fuel resulting in lower emission of smoke and particulate matter. It is also non-toxic and biodegradable.

In today's environmentally conscious world, we realize how much impact we have on the environment. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is striving to make that impact lighter and we're working to make our environment better.

Pictured above: Construction of a new wetlands area, tree planting along Turnpike 43, and cement containing fly ash being poured.

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