PA Route 51 to I-376 of the Mon/Fayette Expressway

The Mon/Fayette Expressway (MFE) system consists of four independent but interconnected projects between I-68 near Morgantown, WV and I-376 in Monroeville, PA. Today, the MFE is completed and open to traffic from I-68 in WV to PA Route 51 in Jefferson Hills Borough in southeastern Allegheny County creating 54 continuous miles of expressway.

The remaining project, PA Route 51 to I-376, will extend the current MFE system 14 miles north from PA Route 51 in Jefferson Hills through West Mifflin, Dravosburg, Duquesne, North Versailles, Turtle Creek and Wilkins before connecting to the Parkway East, I-376, near Thompson Run Road in Monroeville. This will complete the 68-mile MFE system allowing continuous travel from West Virginia north to an interchange with the Parkway East in Monroeville.

Originally, the proposed PA Route 51 to I-376 Project included a leg that would extend the MFE from East Pittsburgh to Bates Street in Oakland. This leg of the MFE has been dropped because of the many residential and business displacements, numerous environmental impacts, changes in the vision for the area, as well as financial constraints. Due to the passage of time, changes in the project area, changes in the design of the expressway, and changes in environmental regulatory requirements, a reevaluation of the Final Environmental Impact Statement was approved in 2019.

In 1985 the Pennsylvania Legislature assigned responsibility for development of the Mon/Fayette Expressway and Southern Beltway projects to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) to boost economic development in the Mon Valley.

The MFE system consists of a regional transportation improvement project that provides better highway access and mobility to help spur redevelopment efforts in the area.

Today, the constructed MFE system not only provides much needed access to the Mon Valley areas, it provides a faster and safer travel option for traffic; particularly commercial vehicles that once used the existing arteries such as PA Route 51, 88 and 837 as well as U.S. Routes 119 and I-70.

The final MFE project from PA Route 51 to I-376 will complete the 68-mile MFE and further improve the local transportation network by providing safe, efficient transportation improvements from Jefferson Hills to Monroeville.

The PA Route 51 to I-376 Project will also encourage redevelopment of abandoned industrial sites, encourage revitalization of neighborhoods and relieve local traffic congestion on roadways in the southern and eastern portions of Allegheny County. The completion of the project will also complement the regional transportation network.

Act 89 of 2013 is providing the necessary funding to advance the entire project through design, right-of-way acquisition and construction.

Prior to construction, detailed engineering designs need to be finalized, right-of-way must be acquired, and all required permits must be obtained. When these are all completed, bids will be received from qualified contractors and only then can construction begin.

Act 89 of 2013 provides sufficient funding to complete the entire project from Jefferson Hills to I-376 in Monroeville. However, the annual funding does not permit construction of the entire project to proceed concurrently. Therefore, construction and right-of-way acquisition will be accomplished in two steps, initially south of the Monongahela River followed by work north of the Monongahela River.

In the final design phase, right-of-way plans are completed to define the property acquisitions needed for construction of the MFE. Starting in 2018, right-of-way (ROW) acquisition south of the Monongahela River (the eight miles from Jefferson Hills to Duquesne) began and involves the acquisition of approximately 300 properties ROW acquisition south of the Monongahela River is anticipated to take several years. Affected property owners south of the Monongahela River are being contacted by a member of the PTC right-of-way acquisition team, including an appraiser and a relocation advisor.

Current estimates indicate that it will take approximately seven years to complete construction south of the Monongahela River. The estimated construction cost for this phase of the project is $900 million.

During the spring 2018 public plans display, right-of-way specialists were available to help property owners, who are affected, understand the acquisition process and answer property owner questions.

Right-of-way acquisition north of the Monongahela River, between Duquesne and I-376, is not expected to begin until the late 2020s.

Depending on background noise levels in your area and your proximity to the MFE, you may experience an increase in noise. The PTC has conducted preliminary noise studies to determine the noise impacts to your community. For areas south of the Monongahela River, where it has been determined that noise levels exceed federal and state criteria, information regarding preliminary noise impacts were presented at the spring 2018 public plans display. Further analysis and community discussions will take place in the future to determine if there is a cost-effective solution to reduce noise levels in these defined areas.

For more information, please feel free to contact us.