Construction begins on the next phase of Mon-Fayette Expressway

The Pennsylvania Turnpike and local officials held a ceremonial groundbreaking Monday on the next phase of the Mon-Fayette Expressway.

The section is the first contract for the designated southern section, which is to eventually connect the highway, where it now ends at State Route 51 in Jefferson Hills, to Interstate 376. Monday’s ceremony was for the construction from Route 51 to Route 837 in Duquesne.

In January, the turnpike announced Pittsburghbased Trumbull Corp. was awarded the nearly $214 million contract for this phase.

The highway already covers 54 miles from near Morgantown, W.Va., to Jefferson Hills.

In a news release, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis said, “As a native of the Mon Valley, I’m excited to see the final leg of this project moving forward. This construction will support thousands of jobs right here in southwestern Pennsylvania.”

State transportation Secretary Mike Carroll, who is also Turnpike Commission chairman, said “This southern phase alone is so massive that it needed to be divided into seven construction sections at an estimated cost of $1.3 billion.

But construction creates opportunity, and we expect that it will generate nearly $2.8 billion for the economy across the Mon Valley.”

Trumbull crews have already begun working on clearing trees and moving dirt.

According to the news release, this phase will require Trumbull to excavate more than 4 million cubic yards of earth and build six bridges. Five of the bridges will be built as part of the mainline of the Mon/Fayette Expressway while the sixth will carry PA Route 885 over the expressway. A cashless toll point will also be built within this section.

The highway was conceived in the 1960s as a lifeline to the steel industry, which had nine major plants in the area that employed about 60,000 people. There were many starts and stops along the way, and the original concept of including a wing to Pittsburgh along the north side of the Monongahela River met with political and financial objections.

Commonwealth Media photos From left, Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission CEO Mark Compton, state Sen. Jay Costa, state transportation Secretary Mike Carroll, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, state Sen. Jim Brewster and Pennsylvania Turnpike Commissioner Secretary-Treasurer Sean Logan break ground Monday for the next phase of the Mon-Fayette Expressway.

“This southern phase alone is so massive that it needed to be divided into seven construction sections at an estimated cost of $1.3 billion. But construction creates opportunity, and we expect that it will generate nearly $2.8 billion for the economy across the Mon Valley,” said state transportation Secretary Mike Carroll.

Lt. Gov. Austin Davis said in a news release, “As a native of the Mon Valley, I’m excited to see the final leg of this project moving forward. This construction will support thousands of jobs right here in south-western Pennsylvania.”