PA Turnpike Wraps Up 2025 Construction Season
PA Turnpike Wraps Up 2025 Construction Season
Middletown, PA — Construction crews capped a busy 2025 season that reinvested more than $737 million into maintenance and modernization projects that improve mobility, safety and access on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
They included:
- Resurfacing 24.3 miles of roadway
- Opening the new Sideling Hill Trailhead, a first-of-its-kind project to serve both PA Turnpike and community users from just beyond the service plaza’s restricted gates
- Beginning the demolition work for 20 legacy toll plazas east of Reading and along the Northeast Extension as part of the transition to Open Road Tolling (ORT)
- Constructing 18 ORT facilities from the Reading Interchange to the Ohio line
- Producing our first digital delivery access gate, which will improve response time for first responders
“Construction and long-term capital plan improvements are essential to the Commonwealth’s economic development,” said PA Turnpike CEO Mark Compton. “While construction may cause a temporary inconvenience for drivers, these improvements bring long-term benefits for all those who use our roadway. This helps us deliver value for their toll dollars in the form of convenience, speed, ease of access and, most importantly, enhanced safety.”
The PA Turnpike will use the winter months to prepare for 2026, when several major projects will be completed including: shifting traffic onto the new westbound structure of the Beaver River Bridge, opening two of the Mon/Fayette Expressway’s southern sections to traffic, interchange demolitions and final preparations for ORT’s launch in the Central and Western parts of the system.
This October, the PA Turnpike – America’s First Superhighway – celebrated its 85th birthday. Reconstructing the original highway to meet modern standards remains a key priority. To date, 174 miles along the PA Turnpike mainline have been widened to six lanes, improving capacity, major corridor access and accommodating current incident management methods to offer safer, more reliable travel.
“We are proud to continue improving and expanding our infrastructure, and this year’s construction season certainly demonstrates that commitment,” said PA Turnpike Chief Engineer Brad Heigel. "We thank the public for their patience during construction, and our crews for their hard work and dedication."
Additional projects across the system support our goal of delivering safe, reliable, customer-valued travel. Here’s where they stand:
NORTHEAST EXTENSION (Encompassing the Lehigh Valley and Scranton)
IN PROGRESS
Bucks County: Roadway and Bridge Reconstruction from Milepost A38 to A44 – This $203 million project reconstructed and widened the roadway on the Northeast Extension near Quakertown. All six lanes opened to traffic in November, with additional work continuing into the new year. Completion: Spring 2026.
Lehigh County: Overhead Bridge Replacement at Milepost A53.4 – This $17.6 million replacement and realignment of a new overhead bridge for Lower Macungie Road opened in fall 2025 with some remaining project activities to complete in spring 2026.
Lehigh County: Tilghman Street Overhead Bridge Replacement at Milepost A57.0 – The bridge has been open to traffic using staged construction methods. This $18.5 million project replaces the old structure over the Northeast Extension and ramps to the Lehigh Valley Interchange servicing Allentown. Both the Tilghman Street Bridge and Lower Macungie Road Bridge replacements are critical early action projects to prepare the Quakertown Interchange to Lehigh Valley Interchange corridor for future 6-lane widening.
Carbon County: Hawk Falls Bridge Replacement at Milepost A89 – This $88 million project replaces the Hawk Falls Bridge with a new steel arch bridge over Mud Run, realigns the Northeast Extension onto the new bridge and builds a new structure over State Route 534. Northbound traffic switched to the new Hawk Falls Bridge over the summer. Southbound traffic will switch in 2026 before the old structure is demolished. Completion: 2026
COMPLETED
Luzerne County: Bridge replacements at Wilkes-Barre Interchange (A105) – This $15.7 million project included a new, widened ramp bridge serving Wilkes-Barre Interchange and a local overhead bridge serving the residents of Bear Creek Township wrapped up in fall 2025.
EAST (Encompassing the Philadelphia region and lower Northeast Extension)
IN PROGRESS
Chester County: Roadway and Bridge Reconstruction from Milepost 312 to 316 – This $215 million project reconstructs and widens the area to six lanes, modernizes and repaves the Downingtown Interchange and builds 12 retaining walls. Contractor partnerships put the project ahead of schedule. Completion: June 2027.
Chester County: Overhead Bridge Replacement at Milepost 304.4 – This $9.8 million project aims to replace the local overhead bridge just west of the Peter J. Camiel Service Plaza with a realignment of Marsh Road. This project replaces the Adams Road Bridge over the Turnpike as an early action measure to prepare the Morgantown Interchange to Downingtown Interchange corridor for widening and reconstruction over the 14-mile span.
Bucks County: I-95 Section D-30 – Occurring west of the I-95 Interchange, this segment, currently totaling $64 million, is part of the broader I-95 Interchange project. It includes replacing the Neshaminy Creek bridge, road reconstruction and 6-lane widening. Completion: October 2026.
COMPLETED
Montgomery County: Roadway and Bridge Reconstruction from Milepost 324 to 326 – This $124 million project reconstructed and extended 6-lane widening through the Valley Forge Interchange and built a new bridge over U.S. Route 422. In November 2024, travel opened in all lanes. Basin conversions and clean-up work continued through 2025. Minor work remains, but no further long-term traffic restrictions are planned for 2026.
CENTRAL
IN PROGRESS
Bedford County: Roadway and Bridge Reconstruction from Milepost 126 to 131 – Reconstructs and widens the roadway to six lanes and includes the PA Turnpike’s only clear noise wall panels, allowing unobstructed views of New Baltimore’s historic St. John the Baptist Church. “Cattle chutes” will manage traffic through the area. This section is now open to six lanes of traffic. Completion: Summer 2026.
Westmoreland to Cumberland County: Fiber Optic Network Construction from Milepost 75 to 236 – This $164 million design-build project continues fiber optic installation from New Stanton to Gettysburg Pike, creating a network spanning from the New Jersey line and up the entire Northeast Extension. It supports future initiatives and Open Road Tolling conversion. Completion: December 2025.
York County: Construction of the New Cumberland Maintenance Facility – This $50 million project builds a new administrative, maintenance and equipment storage facility to replace the existing, aging maintenance shed. Completion: August 2028.
Westmoreland to Fulton County: Open Road Tolling from Milepost 75 to 180 – This $25 million project constructs five ORT gantries, eliminating the need for interchange toll booths. Completion: January 2026.
COMPLETED
Sideling Hill Service Plaza Truck Parking Expansion – This $28 million project increased eastbound and westbound parking areas and added a pavilion and bike stations for those accessing hiking trails, including the Old PA Pike Trail.
Fulton to Cumberland County: Open Road Tolling from Milepost 180 to 236 – This $18 million project constructs four ORT gantries, eliminating the need for interchange toll booths.
Cumberland to Berks County: Open Road Tolling Mileposts 236 to 286 – This $14 million project constructs four ORT gantries, eliminating the need for interchange toll booths.
Resurfacing projects, various counties – Fourteen (14) Miles of resurfacing (Mileposts 215 to 220, Gettysburg Pike and Harrisburg West Interchanges, Mileposts 248 to 255 and Mileposts 275 to 282.)
Cumberland County: Construction of Emergency Access Ramps – This $3 million project constructed access ramps eastbound and westbound at Milepost 238 with SR 2017 (Lisburn Road). It was designed and constructed using digital delivery technology – electronic project modeling. The ramps are finished, with final stormwater basin completion slated for spring 2026.
WEST
IN PROGRESS
Allegheny County: Mon/Fayette Expressway Sections A1 and A2 – Northward expansion includes a new four-lane concrete toll road and interchange at Camp Hollow Road in West Mifflin Borough, Allegheny County. Completion: 2026, with local road detours anticipated.
Beaver County: Beaver River Bridge from Milepost 12 to 14 – Replaces the Beaver River Bridge, raises the road by more than 20 feet, reconfigures the Beaver Valley Interchange and reconstructs a portion of mainline roadway. “Cattle chutes” will control mainline traffic, with temporary closures at the interchange. Completion: Late 2027.
Ohio Line to Westmoreland County: Fiber Optic Network Construction from Milepost 0 to 75 – This $104 million design-build project continues fiber optic installation from Ohio to New Stanton, including the western extensions, creating a network spanning from the New Jersey line and up the entire Northeast Extension. It supports future initiatives and Open Road Tolling conversion. Completion: December 2025.
Lawrence to Westmoreland County: Open Road Tolling from Milepost 2 to 75 – This $29 million project constructs five ORT gantries, eliminating the need for traditional toll booths. Completion: December 2025.
COMPLETED
Somerset County: Roadway and Bridge Reconstruction from Milepost 102 to 109 – This $138 million project reconstructed and widened the roadway to six lanes, including realignment to eliminate sharp curves.
Cranberry Interchange Project: This $10.4 million project repaired concrete pavement on ramps and bridges. In addition, guiderails were upgraded, drainage was improved, and concrete bridge barriers were patched, along with other repairs and safety improvements.
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.
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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