Six Lanes to Fully Open as PA Turnpike Completes Reconstruction Project in Somerset County
Six Lanes to Fully Open as PA Turnpike Completes Reconstruction Project in Somerset County
SOMERSET COUNTY, PA — The Pennsylvania Turnpike (PA Turnpike) is announcing that six-lanes of travel will be opening up this week west of the Somerset Interchange as PA Turnpike crews near the end of a total reconstruction and widening project.
This is part of the PA Turnpike’s statewide Total Reconstruction Initiative, which has already rebuilt 155 miles of roadway. The $135 million project, paid for with toll dollars as part of the PA Turnpike’s capital plan, began in January 2021 to bring three travel lanes in each direction. SAI Consulting Engineers oversaw the project and New Enterprise Stone and Lime Co., Inc. led construction. The work included moving 2.7 million cubic yards of dirt, installing several stormwater controls, including basins and rain gardens, plus building three retaining walls.
“We are pleased to be done with this project, which provides a safer and more efficient travel experience for Turnpike customers,” said Brad Heigel, Chief Engineer for the PA Turnpike. “We are proud to continue modernizing America’s first superhighway to meet the needs of the half a million passengers who drive our roadway every day.”
To prepare the roadway to fully open, construction crews will be reducing the westbound lanes to one-lane from Wednesday, Aug. 21 at 10 p.m. to Thursday, Aug. 22 at 8 a.m. so they can safely open all three westbound lanes in their permanent configuration. The same will be done for the eastbound lanes from Thursday, Aug. 22 at 9 p.m. to Friday, Aug. 23 at 8 a.m. During those times, intermittent traffic paces will be necessary to allow some of the transformation work to be completed safely. Additionally, traffic may be restricted to two-lanes at various times during daytime hours until construction fully wraps up in November to allow for the safe completion of the final aspects of the project.
The PA Turnpike was America’s First Superhighway when it was built more than 80 years ago and reconstructing the original highway to modern standards has been a key priority in recent years. The total reconstruction of the mainline of the PA Turnpike not only will expand the roadway to six-lanes to improve capacity and provide better access in major corridors, but also make the roadway safer. With this seven-mile stretch completed, the PA Turnpike has now totally reconstructed 55 miles of roadway between Irwin Interchange (Exit #67) and the Allegheny Tunnel (Milepost 122). Work on reconstruction and widening continues between mileposts 126-131 and is currently scheduled to be completed in 2026. Reconstruction and widening between mileposts 49-53, 53-57, 57-67, 131-134 and the Allegheny Mountain Realignment are all in the design phase.
This roadwork is critical to delivering on the Pennsylvania Turnpike's mission of operating a safe, reliable, customer-valued toll road system that supports national mobility and commerce. In 2023, the PA Turnpike supported more than $690 million in construction bids to modernize, maintain or improve customer experience. Key projects include resurfacing 46+ miles of roadway, a record-high 27 miles of total reconstruction, and replacing key bridges at Beaver River and Hawk Falls. Resources and information on planned construction projects can be found at Traveling on the PA Turnpike | PA Turnpike.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: Drone video of construction from Fall 2023 can be found by clicking here (Video can be downloaded by clicking the information tab and selecting the download video icon). Photos from various stages of construction can be found on the Project Overview and Design & Construction Details pages on our construction website.
Media Contacts:
Crispin Havener, (717) 870-2841
Marissa Orbanek, (267) 408-5151