Pa. Turnpike to relocate stream damaging toll road in Irwin

The Pennsylvania Turnpike expects to begin work in April to rebuild a slope and relocate a stream in Irwin that has been eroding land under the shoulder of the toll road.

The turnpike commission recently approved a $1.8 million contract with Mosites Construction Co. for the project, which is expected to take most of the construction season but shouldn’t interfere with traffic.

Kevin Scheurich, a senior engineer project manager with the turnpike, said the problem is being caused by a tributary of Brush Creek in Irwin where Morris Avenue becomes Nike Site Road. The plan is to have the contractor relocate the stream, rebuild about 500 feet of the slope and replace the shoulder of the toll road in that area.

The erosion hasn’t damaged the road itself, Mr. Scheurich said.

The stream is farther away from the slope in most areas, but in this spot, it shifts toward the slope for a short distance where it erodes the dirt before moving away again. Mosites crews will relocate the stream 20 to 25 feet away from the slope, essentially straightening it so it no longer is close enough to damage the slope.

Then workers will rebuild the slope itself, which is 30 to 35 feet high in that area, before replacing the shoulder.

Mr. Scheurich said almost all of the work will be done from below the slope, but the shoulder itself will be closed part of the time during the upgrade. The work is expected to last most of the construction season.