PA Turnpike Selects Designer for Breezewood Interchange Project
PA Turnpike Selects Designer for Breezewood Interchange Project
Middletown, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PA Turnpike) has named Alfred Benesch and Company as its lead designer for the Breezewood Interchange project. This design and expansion initiative will reconfigure the Breezewood Interchange (Exit 161) by providing a direct link of the Pennsylvania Turnpike to Interstate 70 and includes a three-mile total reconstruction and widening of the PA Turnpike (I-70/76 and Interstate 76) between mileposts 160-163.
After a competitive procurement process, Benesch will serve as the lead design consultant, performing an alternative analysis study, preliminary design and final design services, including stakeholder engagement. An ENR Top 500 Design Firm with offices throughout Pennsylvania, Benesch specializes in civil, structural and environmental engineering services, delivering projects that will improve their communities. The project will be led out of their Pottsville and Cranberry offices.
“We’re pleased to reach this milestone on the Breezewood Interchange project,” said PA Turnpike CEO Mark Compton. “Providing key infrastructure improvements that enhance access for residents and out-of-state travelers is our core mission. What’s more, the PA Turnpike’s track record of increasing economic development opportunities makes projects like this essential to our state’s continued well-being.”
In the fall, the PA Turnpike sought design proposals that maintained local access to the Breezewood area while incorporating solutions that addressed future opportunities and regional challenges. Thirteen firms submitted proposals. Firms were evaluated based on their statements of interest and presentations.
Benesch demonstrated a strong understanding of the anticipated project issues and challenges, proposed a sound approach to evaluating potential alternatives and creating effective public involvement plans, displayed significant relevant experience, and will staff the project with highly qualified team members.
The Breezewood Interchange, part of the original roadway built during the 1930s, was scheduled for renovations as part of the PA Turnpike’s Total Reconstruction Initiative. Rather than replace existing infrastructure, the PA Turnpike is expanding to a six-lane configuration while providing access to I-70. This keeps long-distance travelers and commercial traffic on the interstate, while supporting safe, less congested access to local communities for visitors.
In 2022, 2.65 million customers exited at the Breezewood Interchange and 2.83 million customers entered the Turnpike at Breezewood; trucks accounted for 37 percent of all traffic.
“The Breezewood Interchange project will show how transportation can improve communities’ economies and quality of life,” said Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Secretary and PA Turnpike Commission Chair Mike Carroll. “Not only will traffic flow and safety be improved, but truck-parking access and trail connections will also be included.”
The PA Turnpike has and will continue to engage local, state and federal stakeholders on this project, ensuring the proposed traffic flow changes support and enhance community improvement efforts across Fulton and Bedford counties.
Pennsylvania’s outdoor recreation industry contributes $19 billion to the state’s economy, supporting more than 168,000 jobs, and providing $9 billion in wages and salaries. The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) is Pennsylvania’s largest funder of outdoor recreation and conservation projects, including the Old PA Pike (TOPP) Trail.
“Expanding access to outdoor recreation opportunities across the Commonwealth is a top priority for the Shapiro Administration and we are excited for the momentum behind this transformational project in Breezewood,” DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said. “This work has the potential to connect thousands of people to trails in Buchanan State Forest, the TOPP Trail and to other beautiful natural spaces in this region. Thank you to Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, PennDOT, the Bedford Fulton Joint Recreation Authority for supporting outdoor recreation.”
Jim Wehling, co-chair of the Bedford/Fulton Joint Recreation Authority – owners and developers of the TOPP Trail – echoed the DCNR’s excitement about the potential benefits.
“The new Breezewood exit configuration provides an opportunity for direct access to the trail from either or both I-70 and I-76,” Wehling said. “We are pleased to be a Turnpike Commission partner in this design phase. Our hope is TOPP Trail and connections to other trails will become major assets in Breezewood’s transition to a vibrant community and gateway to Bedford and Fulton County’s outdoor recreational assets. We look forward to working with the design team.”
The Breezewood Interchange is part of the PA Turnpike’s original 162-mile stretch – which opened in 1940 between Irwin and Carlisle. Following 1964’s completion of Interstate 70 and PA Turnpike realignment four years later, the Rays Hill and Sideling Hill tunnels were abandoned. A quarter-mile stretch of U.S. 30 controlled by two traffic lights connects I-70 and I-76. The only other primary Interstate Highway route with a traffic light is I-78 at the Holland Tunnel entrance in Jersey City, N.J., which predates the Interstate Highway System.
“We are grateful for the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission’s partnership and commitment to improving the Breezewood Interchange,” said Bette Slayton, President & CEO, Bedford County Development Association. “This new design has the potential to enhance safety, improve traffic flow, and create significant economic opportunities for Breezewood, Bedford County, and the entire region. Infrastructure investments like this are critical in supporting local businesses, attracting new development, and ensuring long-term growth. We look forward to seeing the positive impact this project will bring to our community.”
Redesigning Breezewood's Interchange with a connection to I-70 is possible thanks to Open Road Tolling (ORT), which allows for more flexible interchanges that support increased access. ORT launched east of Reading and on the Northeast Extension in January and will be fully implemented across the system in 2027. Its design moves tolling equipment onto the roadway, allowing additional access points to be built at significantly lower costs, and with much smaller footprints. Traditional interchange configurations, such as diamonds, are now possible.
The selection of an engineering firm is part of the project’s initial design phase. On average, it takes 8-10 years from seeking a design consultant to the start of construction. Designs and construction timelines will be released once they are established.
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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Media Contacts:
Marissa Orbanek, Press Secretary: (267) 408-5151, morbanek@paturnpike.com
Crispin Havener, Assistant Press Secretary: (717) 870-2841, chavener@paturnpike.com