Why it’s important

“Pittsburgh is one of the only cities in the country without a beltway around it,” said Doug Smith, transportation planning director for the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission. “There’s still that potential to create that beltway through this project.”

The beltway will be a key component to alleviating the regular congestion that builds up on the Parkway West as travelers head to the airport, Mr. Smith said. It also will provide an alternative for travelers heading to the airport from the eastern suburbs who hit choke points at the Squirrel Hill Tunnel, Fort Pitt Bridge and Fort Pitt Tunnel.

“This system will provide some redundancy that we don’t have now,” Mr. Smith said. “We saw that when the Liberty Bridge was closed last year [after a construction fire] there really was no other route to go.

“Having that redundancy sometimes doesn’t sit well with taxpayers. But when you need it, it really comes in handy.”

In addition to the airport, the beltway will improve access for two of the region’s major economic generators, the bustling Southpointe complex in Canonsburg, Washington County, and Shell Chemical Co.’s multibillion dollar petrochemical plant under construction in Potter Township, near Monaca, Beaver County.

These days, most road and bridge projects are expansions, adaptations or replacements of something that’s been there for many years. What’s different about the Southern Beltway project is that it is a completely new venture, taking roads and bridges where there were none before.

That’s not lost on those involved with the project.

“These projects are the best ones because they’re all your work,” said Jeff Ronosky, project manager for Mosites Construction Co., as he watched ironworkers place a beam for a bridge above Quicksilver Road last month.

“The new ones are a challenge because you have to figure everything out. It’s neat to do new. We don’t do new anymore.”