PA Turnpike Unveils Plans for SR 130 Interchange Project
PA Turnpike Unveils Plans for SR 130 Interchange Project
New interchange will link the PA Turnpike with State Route 130 in Penn Township
HARRISON CITY, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PA Turnpike) held an Open House Plans Display Tuesday for the State Route (SR) 130 Interchange Project in Penn Township, Westmoreland County, for the public and interested stakeholders at Penn-Trafford High School.
The new interchange, located in the vicinity of PA Turnpike Milepost 63 between the PA Turnpike’s Irwin (Exit 67) and Pittsburgh (Exit 57) interchanges, will provide Pittsburgh’s eastern suburbs with better access to neighboring counties and employment centers, encourage economic development in the region and ease congestion on other routes now used to access the PA Turnpike.
“This new interchange marks a significant step forward in enhancing transportation infrastructure, connectivity and potential economic development in Westmoreland County,” said PA Turnpike CEO Mark Compton. “We look forward to expanding our connections to the communities who surround the PA Turnpike to enhance state and national mobility.”
In October 2021, the PA Turnpike announced that the project could advance since the agency had been released from the PA Act 44 of 2007 mandate to provide $450 million annually to PennDOT to help fund Commonwealth transit operations. The SR 130 Interchange Project is currently in preliminary design, with construction currently scheduled to begin in the fall of 2035 and is scheduled to be completed in the Summer of 2038. The Turnpike will also be reconstructing the Harrison City Maintenance Facility between Fall 2026-Fall 2027 and will also be expanding the mainline to six-lanes as part of the MP 57-67 Total Reconstruction project, which is scheduled to be in construction between Fall 2032-Fall 2036.
Given the terrain and existing infrastructure in the area, the new interchange is only feasible due to the Turnpike’s transition to Open Road Tolling (ORT). This cashless, free-flowing mode of collecting tolls without traditional toll plazas or tollbooths, allows the Turnpike to collect tolls as customers drive at highway speeds without slowing down or stopping beneath overhead structures — called gantries — located between interchanges. This allows the Turnpike to build interchanges with a smaller footprint and lower costs of the traditional design required to funnel on and off traffic through a traditional toll plaza. ORT will launch east of Reading in January 2025 and on the rest of the mainline Turnpike in early 2027.
“This new connection has long been advocated because of the benefits of improved safety and mobility for passenger and commercial traffic,” said PA Turnpike Chief Engineer Brad Heigel. “ORT fulfills our customer’s expectations for seamless, convenient travel and makes it easier for us to enhance both the driver experience and provide more connections to the communities we pass through like this one.”
The Turnpike organized and has worked closely with the State Route 130 (SR 130) Interchange Project Stakeholder Advisory Group to create a reliable and sustainable communications platform for the exchange of timely and accurate project-related information and feedback representative of the project community’s perspective and other key stakeholders located throughout the project area. The Turnpike has notified residents in the area about field work, surveys, and environmental investigations being conducted by project team members that are necessary to advance to project as well as property owners regarding potential property acquisition.
“The SR 130 Advisory group has served as a valuable liaison between the Turnpike, the project team, and the local community to ensure this important transportation improvement project moves forward in the best way possible for all parties involved,” said PA Turnpike Senior Engineer Project Manager Mohammad M. Mohammad. “We are doing our due diligence during preliminary design to identify and mitigate environmental impacts, as well as impacts to the residents and property owners and we will continue to communicate with all stakeholders as the project progresses.”
For additional information on the PTC’s SR 130 Interchange project or for contact information for questions, please visit the project website at https://www.paturnpike.com/traveling/construction/site/sr130-interchange.
A national transportation leader, the Pennsylvania Turnpike (PA Turnpike) is the second largest tolling facility in the United States with the most miles. The PA Turnpike proudly supports safety and convenience for its more than 550,000 daily customers through 24-7 roadside assistance, round-the-clock food and fuel at 17 service plazas and a dedicated maintenance force and State Police Troop. The PA Turnpike’s approximately 1,400-person local workforce is unified in its mission; to operate a safe, reliable, customer-valued toll road system that supports national mobility and commerce. For more information about the PA Turnpike’s mission, vision and values, please visit Home | PA Turnpike.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Video of the area surrounding the proposed interchange can be found here. Pictures can be found here.
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Media Contacts:
Crispin Havener, Assistant Press Secretary: (717) 870-2841, chavener@paturnpike.com
Marissa Orbanek, Press Secretary: (267) 408-5151, morbanek@paturnpike.com