Project Overview
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) has reconstructed approximately five miles of the PA Turnpike (Milepost 126 to 131) in Somerset and Bedford Counties. Reconstruction included widening and curve flattening on the Turnpike mainline, the replacement of one overhead bridge and two Turnpike mainline bridges, construction of a new access ramp bridge and the rehabilitation of the Tunnel Road Arch structure. Also included is the New Baltimore Slope Remediation project located from Milepost 127.9 (Tunnel Road) to Milepost 128.7 (0.3 miles west of Findley Street) in Allegheny Township, Somerset County. The full depth roadway reconstruction and widening begins at Milepost 126.1 (2.8 miles east of the Allegheny Tunnel) in Allegheny Township, Somerset County and continues to Milepost 130.5 (1.5 miles east of the Findley Street overhead bridge in New Baltimore) in Juniata Township, Bedford County. At the west end of the project, shoulder reconstruction and drainage improvements on the existing Turnpike mainline start at Milepost 123.3 (east end of Allegheny Tunnel) and end at Milepost 126.1 (start of full depth reconstruction). All work is occurring within Allegheny Township and New Baltimore Borough in Somerset County and Juniata Township in Bedford County.
Upon completion of the full depth reconstruction project, the Turnpike was widened to 122 feet. It consist of six travel lanes (three westbound and three eastbound) with a 26-foot median, and 12-foot outside shoulders. The overhead bridge at Findley Street has already been replaced and the New Baltimore Slope Remediation is complete. This project involved constructing noise barriers along the westbound lanes at the town of New Baltimore as depicted in the noise report; constructing new stormwater facilities, retaining walls, culvert extensions, and a stream mitigation site.