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SWPA25 Meet Notes

It was a cold and blustery afternoon on February 27, 1999, when the first recorded road enthusiast meet took place in Greensburg.  Here we are, a quarter-century later, and meets have taken place across the country.  Not only has it been awhile since a SWPA (Southwestern Pennsylvania) meet took place, but it was time to commemorate that first one with the SWPA25 Meet.

Group photo from the first recorded road enthusiast meet in Greensburg on February 27, 1999
The first meet’s group picture.  Left to right: Chris Cuomo, Bruce Cridlebaugh’s daughter, Bruce Cridlebaugh, Adam Prince, and Jeff Kitsko

The meet began at 11 AM at Luciano’s Italian Brick Oven in White Oak, just outside McKeesport.  I picked this restaurant because it had a private room.  I also knew how good the food is from frequenting it many times over the years.  Also, the restaurant’s rear parking lot would have sat under the alignment of the cancelled North-South Parkway a.k.a. the “New 48.”  It would have run along the hillside above.

Map showing the proposed path of the "New 48" in relation to Luciano's
The path of the proposed North-South Parkway (“New 48”) in relation to Luciano’s Italian Brick Oven. (Rand McNally)

My gift to attendees were copies of the new 2024 Pennsylvania road maps, which I drove out to the welcome center on Interstate 70 just east of West Virginia to obtain.  The last time I did that was for the 2003 SWPA Meet, but it went much better this time around.  Instead of them looking at me like I was speaking gibberish, the staff was very helpful when I asked for a block of them.  They gave me two blocks, so I’ll have 2024 maps to give away until SWPA50!

I also had issues dating back to 2005 in case anyone wanted to fill gaps in their collection. Along with the maps, I brought a copy of the first SWPA meet group picture taken back in February 1999.  It was taken at the first office of the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor.  Since 2009, the organization has called the Johnson House along the eastbound lanes of US 30 (the original path of the Lincoln Highway) at the southern terminus of PA 217 southeast of Latrobe home.

Lunch began by me welcoming everyone who decided to come out on that iffy weather day.  As the servers were passing out our drinks and salads or soups, Craig White from JMT, a consultant on the project, gave a presentation.  He talked about the portion of the Mon-Fayette Expressway currently under construction from PA 51 to near Dravosburg.  He brought posters detailing the project, which may be found at the website for this section.

 
 
 
 
 
 
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After a lunch of pizza and pieces of cake that celebrated the 25th anniversary made by White Oak’s own Patti’s Pasticceria, another business I have patronized over the years, we hopped in our cars to begin the tour portion of the SWPA25 Meet.  Since the distance between the restaurant and the work zone was great, I created a tour itinerary in PDF format.  I indicated the stops on a part of PennDOT’s Type 10 map of Allegheny County.

The first stop was the former Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses along Camp Hollow Road (SR 2043) at the intersection with Lebanon School Road in West Mifflin.  We had a perfect vantage point from the parking lot, looking across the road to where the expressway will eventually come.  Next door was a former collection of apartments which were demolished to make way for the future route.

Due to the road being barricaded, the second stop on New England Road had to be skipped.  I didn’t want the police to crash the tour.  They did so on the then-unopened original section of Southern Beltway during the first National Meet in 2006.  So we went to the third stop at the Community College of Allegheny County South Campus.  Earth moving for the expressway is viewable from their parking lot.

Afterward, we continued to the fourth stop on Coal Valley Road.  The road is closed due to construction of piers for the bridges that will carry PA Turnpike 43 over the valley.  The fifth stop was to have been where the expressway will pass under PA 885.  However, due to the rain that began to fall during the lunch portion, the area had turned to mud.  Fortunately, the few that pulled in did not become stuck.

We all made it to the final stop at the park and ride in Large, where the Mon-Fayette Expressway’s northern terminus is currently located.  This is where we took our group picture underneath the bridges currently under construction.  The spans will eventually carry PA Turnpike 43’s main lanes.  Needless to say, there were a lot more people in this picture than in the one from the first SWPA.  Since this is the terminus of the expressway, it was also the terminus for the SWPA25 Meet tour.  Some decided to leave from there, but some decided to join the “after tour.”  That consisted of checking out the Elizabeth and Boston bridges.  Adam Prince had suggested while I was planning the SWPA25 Meet.

Group picture of those who attended the SWPA25 Meet.
Compared to the first meet, almost five times more attendees for the silver anniversary.

While checking out the Elizabeth Bridge, or Regis R. Malady Bridge, which carries PA 51 over the Monongahela River, a couple of ladies asked us what we were doing.  One turned out to be a member of the Elizabeth Township Historical Society.  When she learned about my website, she asked for my contact information for a possible future speaking engagement.

 
 
 
 
 
 
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After checking out the Boston Bridge, we headed back to Luciano’s for those who were on the “after tour” to get their vehicles and say our goodbyes.  I had brought up checking out the new Fern Hollow Bridge in Pittsburgh.  This was the first area meet since the collapse of its predecessor.  So a couple of us trekked up to Frick Park to snag some pictures of the completed span.  Then it was back to Luciano’s again. Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate the silver anniversary of the SWPA Road Enthusiast Meet series, which included two of the original attendees:  Bruce Cridlebaugh of Bridges & Tunnels of Allegheny County and Pittsburgh, PA, who organized that first meet in 1999, and Adam Prince of Gribblenation.  I also want to thank Elizabeth Township native, Adam, for assisting me with the meet.

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Pennsylvania Turnpike 75th Birthday Car Show

When the weather turns warm in Pennsylvania, it is a time to get out and enjoy the great outdoors.  We have an abundance of state parks and historic sites. Therefore, there is plenty to see and do in the Keystone State. One such activity that can shake off “cabin fever” is a good, old-fashioned car show.  Since this year marks the Pennsylvania Turnpike 75th birthday of the original section of Turnpike from Irwin to Carlisle opening, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission held a car show at the Sideling Hill Service Plaza today.

Others had been held for other birthday milestone years, so this is not the first time.  However, this was the first one with myself and my family in attendance.  We had a vehicle worthy of displaying this time.

Attendees who were displaying their vehicles could either come via the Turnpike itself for free thanks to Sunoco picking up the tab, or other routes.  We decided on the latter.  I will say it was a little strange to enter a service plaza through a gate instead of a ramp.

Vehicles from various eras and states on display at the Pennsylvania Turnpike 75th Birthday Car Show

While the show took place, HMS Host, managers of the service plazas, sold hot dogs and Coca-Cola products for the price of what they cost in 1940.  The Turnpike Commission sold 75th Anniversary memorabilia, including a hard-cover picture book detailing the history of the highway. I even had a chance to meet a fan of the site since its America Online days, Ron Breisch.

Participants had chances to win items from the Turnpike Commission answering trivia questions, as well as in a raffle. I didn’t think it would be too sporting if the Webmaster of Pennsylvania Highways answered each question. Therefore, I just answered one of the trivia questions and won a PTC t-shirt.  In addition, I won a model of an old-fashioned Coca-Cola delivery truck in the raffle. Above all, participants received a swag bag of goodies, which are pictured below.

 
 
 
 
 
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Some of the swag obtained at the PA Turnpike 75th Anniversary Car Show today. #paturnpike #paturnpike75 #ptc #swag

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It was a beautiful day and a beautiful drive to and from the plaza for the Pennsylvania Turnpike 75th Birthday Car Show. The car show was a nice event to celebrate the Turnpike’s diamond anniversary; however, it was also a communal event that brought out people from across the state and even the country.

PA Turnpike Celebrating 75 Years! – Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission

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2011 Williamsport Meet Notes

After the 65th Little League World Series champion was crowned last month, the first Williamsport Road Enthusiast Meet was held this month, specifically today.  I’d like to thank all who attended and for making the trip for the 2011 Williamsport Meet, the first meet in north central Pennsylvania.

View of the Interstate 180/US 15 SPDI from my hotel room window, which was not part of the 2011 Williamsport Meet tour.
The newly refurbished Market Street Bridge and newly built Single Point Diamond Interchange in Williamsport.  Prior to construction of the interchange, US 15 exited farther south (or to the right of the picture) onto a then four-lane Via Bella to connect to the bridge.  Now that street is two lanes with roundabouts at various intersections.  It is expected that US 15 will be truncated here when Interstate 99 is signed north to New York.

The meet began as usual at 12 PM at the Bullfrog Brewery in downtown Williamsport.  The food was good as well as the conversations. Mike Pruett brought some Maryland official highway maps and I brought copies of the new Turnpike System map as well as some old copies of the Pennsylvania official highway map for everyone.

After lunch, we hopped in our cars and followed US 15 to see the improvements made to the corridor over the past decade in order for it to be designated Interstate 99.  There are numerous signs along the way denoting it as the “Future I-99 Corridor.”

The first stop of the 2011 Williamsport Meet was at the Cogan House interchange, just north of the PA 14 interchange.  What is interesting about this particular interchange is that the road that connects the two directions of US 15 are the original southbound lanes.  They needed to be replaced due to sharp curves at the bottom of the Steam Valley hill, but the section here was retained and turned into an interchange for Cogan House.

We continued north to the next stop, at the next interchange, at PA 184 in Steam Valley.  Prior to 2010, this was an at-grade intersection, but of course had to be upgraded to an interchange for the Interstate 99 designation to be applied.  In order to create the junction, the right-of-ways of both US 15 and PA 184 were changed.  As I mentioned above, the existing southbound lanes could not be used, so the new ones were shifted eastward and the alignment of PA 184 was shifted southward.  An interesting anomaly was created in that PA 184 technically doesn’t end at US 15, but rather just to the east of the diamond interchange at Steam Mill Road.

I asked the group if they wanted to clinch US 15 from Williamsport to the New York state line, and everyone agreed we might as well since we were that far north.  Crossing into New York, the roadway narrows down to two lanes through an interesting temporary interchange with very modern-looking light poles to illuminate the path.  We made the first right to head back into Pennsylvania onto a road that connects to the old route of US 15 now known as Steuben County Route 115.  Once in Lawrenceville, a few continued onto PA 287, which was extended northward after the expressway was completed to the west, and the rest onto PA 49 to head south on US 15.

The final stop of the 2011 Williamsport Meet tour was the beautiful Tioga Welcome Center, just south of the PA 287 interchange, which overlooks the Tioga Reservoir.  Many have compared the recent flooding in the northern part of the state to that seen in the wake of Hurricane Agnes in 1972.  That event was the impetus for construction of the reservoir, as the Allegheny Reservoir demonstrated the need by saving western Pennsylvania the destruction seen in the eastern part of the state.

I showed the group the original path below of US 15 through Tioga and how it’s alignment is now underwater.  Everyone was able to pick up brochures and maps.  Not only the 2010 official state one, but also the 2008 Trucker’s Guide to Pennsylvania.  It is a black-and-white version of the regular map.  However, the only colors on it denote the various truck routes.  Also included is specific information for “gear jockeys” such as low clearance points and locations of steep grades.  After taking the group picture there with the spectacular backdrop, we said our farewells, and headed to our respective destinations.

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Turnpike 43 FINALLY Opens to West Virginia

Tom Petty said the waiting is the hardest part, and the Turnpike Commission can attest to that musical proclamation.  The Mason-Dixon Link, which is the section from the state line to Exit 8 of the Mon-Fayette Expressway, was built in the late 1990s. The majority of it opened on March 1, 2000, to traffic.  The exception was the piece from the West Virginia state line to Exit 2. That would remain unopened for a little over a decade. The reason due to construction of WV 43 taking longer than projected because of finance issues.  Ironically, that problem would be solved during the economic downturn of the latter part of the 2000s. ARRA, or economic stimulus, dollars were provided to the states for “shovel-ready” projects. Today, PA Turnpike 43 finally opens to West Virginia!

Entering PA Turnpike 43 northbound via the off-ramp at Exit 2
Entering PA Turnpike 43 northbound at Exit 2 in a southerly direction to reach the site of the ribbon-cutting ceremonies.

At last, the time finally came to let that “new road smell” loose and allow vehicles other than construction company ones to drive across the state line.  There were two ribbon-cutting ceremonies held: one south of the Mason-Dixon Line and one north.

The West Virginia Department of Transportation was up first at 10:30 AM. They brought their starting line-up of dignitaries, including Senator Joe Manchin III and Governor Earl Ray Tomblin.  Below is footage of the West Virginia ceremony.

After the cutting of the ribbon, it was time to jump into the provided shuttle buses or your personal vehicle and head back north into Pennsylvania.  Our ribbon-cutting event was not as long nor as well attended by officials as West Virginia’s.

Local and state officials cutting the ribbon for PA Turnpike 43 at the state line
The people most responsible for the highway coming into existence are behind the sign, from left to right:  PTC Commissioner J. William Lincoln, new PTC CEO William K. Lieberman, Senator Richard Kasunic, and former Senator J. Barry Stout.

The ceremonies marking the end of the 11-year wait for the Mon-Fayette Expressway’s “Mason-Dixon Link” to finally cross the Mason-Dixon Line. In short, PA Turnpike 43 finally opens to West Virginia!

Officials Open Yet Another Part of Mon-Fayette Expressway – Greensburg Tribune-Review

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Winter 2010 SWPA Meet

It has been three years since there was a holiday edition of the longest running road enthusiast meets in southwestern Pennsylvania.  That and the streak of Saturday-only meets came to an end today with the Winter 2010 SWPA Meet.  I’d like to thank all who traveled both near and far to attend.  They did so even with the snow falling in the area and the winter storm churning up the Eastern Seaboard.

The meet began at 12 PM at the Route 40 Classic Diner on what is now Business US 40 in Brownsville.  Food was good as well as the conversations.  My Maryland counterpart, Mike Pruett, brought a copy of an old trails guide book.  It is a precursor to the modern road atlas, from the late 1920s, for everyone to peruse.  I brought some recent Pennsylvania official maps from 2006 to 2010.  Just in case anyone needed to fill gaps in their collections.

Since these holiday meets are on a smaller scale than the ones during warmer months, the tour was not too extensive.  After lunch, we headed down Business US 40 into Brownsville for a taste of the old National Road and to check out the work on connecting PA Turnpike 43 to the PA 88 expressway in West Brownsville.  The new alignment, which leaves PA 88, is quite evident as it swings east to cross the Monongahela River.  The former intersection of old and new PA 88 has been reconfigured to be a continual route through the future interchange.  This leaves up for debate whether PA 88 will be moved back to its former route into West Brownsville, or join with PA Turnpike 43 to US 40.

The cloverleaf at PA Turnpike 43 and US 40 is temporarily a partial one.  This is due to ongoing construction to upgrade the segment of PA 88 that will be incorporated into the expressway.  The northbound lanes are being rebuilt.  What is interesting is that the overhead gantry that was before the cloverleaf has been replaced with a blue, mono-tube gantry that is seemingly becoming standard on the roadway.

Back across the Lane Bane Bridge, we picked up the old road and stopped at the Searights Toll House.  Unlike the last Winter SWPA Meet, there were no broken windows nor damaged screen doors to report.  It was good to see that a security system was installed, as indicated by a sign by the entrance.  Here we said goodbye to half of the attendees and the rest of us continued east on US 40 to drive through the new PA Turnpike 43/US 119 stack interchange.  Afterward, we took the new route back to bring the Winter 2010 SWPA Meet to an end saying our farewells, and headed to our respective destinations.

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2010 SEPA Meet

After a six-year hiatus, the second SEPA Road Enthusiast Meet was held today.  I’d like to thank all who attended and for making the trip for the 2010 SEPA Meet, which took the record for attendance at a Pennsylvania meet from the 2003 SWPA Meet.

View of US 422 from my hotel room window on the morning of the 2010 SEPA Meet
View of US 422, also known as the Pottstown Expressway, from my hotel room window that morning.

The 2010 SEPA Meet began as usual at 12 PM at the Sly Fox Brewhouse & Eatery, home of the Route 113 Indian Pale Ale, on what else, PA 113 in Phoenixville.  Some of the attendees did partake of the Route 113 IPA, or as PennDOT would call it, the SR 0113 Indian Pale Ale.  It just might end up being the official beverage for road enthusiasts over the age of 21.  The food was good as well as the conversations.

Many of the attendees brought road-related materials to peruse as well as to keep:  Adam Froehlig – various state official maps from Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania; Doug Kerr – I-87 Northway maps; and H. B. Elkins – goodie bags full of Kentucky maps and other Kentucky Transportation Cabinet paraphernalia.  I brought a planning map for the Keystone State’s Interstate System from the early 1960s for guests to view.  In 2006, I had acquired that from eBay.

After lunch, we hopped in our cars and followed PA 23 to the first stop, which was at the Philadelphia Traffic Management Center in the PennDOT District 6-0 headquarters in King of Prussia.  Thanks go to Len Pundt, who worked for PennDOT and who helped arrange the tour. The TMC, which was called the Traffic Control Center when I toured it in 2004, has been upgraded since then.  Two video walls show feeds from traffic cameras around Philadelphia, as well as content from the Internet and TV.  There was a bit of excitement as we were witness to an accident on the Platt Bridge, tying up traffic.  Accidents seems to have become a constant with Pennsylvania meets involving a traffic management center tour.

Continuing east on PA 23, we stopped at the Schuylkill Parkway overpass just north of Bridgeport.  Len described what was to have happened with that project.  It would have been the eastern end of the “Goat Path” Expressway, which was to begin in Lancaster.  Len provided some background on this abandoned project.  One of its current uses is as a driver training course for the State Police.  He explained PennDOT’s funding issues, which led to it cancelling this and numerous other expressway projects in the 1970s.  One of the points he made was that cancelling these projects did initially save money.  However, there is no way to build these to solve the traffic issues of the 21st Century.  Right-of-way acquisition alone would be astronomically high to carve these highways through dense urbanized areas.

We bid Len adieu and took I-276/PA Turnpike eastbound to PA 309 northbound to observe some of the rehabilitation project.  Work has been taking place since 2003 along the Fort Washington Expressway.  As soon as joining the expressway, we experienced a vastly improved roadway from the one that had been serving commuters since it was built as a new alignment for US 309.  We encountered the last remaining section to be undergoing rehabilitation heading north and exited in the construction zone at Norristown Road to go west to Bethlehem Pike.  That roadway was the pre-expressway route of US 309.  Traveling north to Cedar Hill Road allowed us to view the progress on the northernmost segment from an overpass.

After stopping at the overpass to see the work, we continued northeast to PA 63 then turned northwest to go to the intersection with US 202 to see the progress on the US 202 Parkway project.  A new alignment is underway at PA 63 and work is taking place south along the current alignment.

We passed some of the work along US 202 as we headed back to the Sly Fox Brewhouse & Eatery to conclude the 2010 SEPA Meet. Back at the restaurant, we said our farewells and headed to our respective destinations.

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The World Comes to the Commonwealth

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said in May that the next G-20 Summit would be held in Pittsburgh. As a result, there were more than a few laughs from the White House Press Corp.  And why not, what does anyone there know about finance and banking or surviving an economic downturn?  After all, it is an area where people pay a fair market value for a house.  How quaint! However, the world came to discuss all of the above.

The reason President Obama chose the “City of Champions” was due to visiting the area during the 2008 campaign.  He saw how it changed from a center of steel to one with a more varied economic base. One focused on medicine, finance, and high-tech industries.  Fortunately, the industrial fore-fathers of the city were not misers and gave back to their community in the form of libraries and universities. These were the crutches by which Pittsburgh could pull itself up by its bootstraps and start over.

Leaders from around the world began arriving on Wednesday. This prompted rolling roadblocks on the Parkway West between Pittsburgh International Airport and Downtown.  The motorcades passed through the US 22/US 30-PA 60 interchange project. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 partially funded the work. Passage of the ARRA was to dig (no pun intended) the country out of the global recession. The topic of which would be the focus of the next two days.

While the leaders of the 20 largest economies and the European Union were arriving, so were the protesters. Members of Greenpeace repelled off the West End Bridge. They displayed a banner protesting the lack of attention paid to the environment by these leaders.  Arrests took place at the Fort Pitt Bridge, where five others tried to do the same.

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl deputized 1,000 men and women. They came from police departments as far away as Miami and as close as Johnstown. In addition to National Guardsmen and state police troopers, they made up a force of more than 3,000 officers.

The world’s leaders had an easier time getting around the city than the locals.  Only residents with a driver’s license with a Downtown address, delivery trucks (with deliveries made between 5 AM and 7 AM), taxis, hotel shuttles, armored cars, ACCESS vehicles, and medical suppliers could continue into the Golden Triangle.  Three police checkpoints were established. The locations were Smithfield Street Bridge at PA 837/West Carson Street, Fifth Avenue at Ross Street, and the Roberto Clemente Bridge at Isabella Street. However, motorists could exit anywhere.  Meanwhile, barricades closed ramps from Interstate 279, Interstate 376, and Interstate 579 and other bridges and streets.

The two-day summit went off without a hitch. Pittsburgh was able to do something no other city could: host a blood-less G-20.  Only 193 arrests took place, a few minor fires happened, and some minor damage to stores occurred.  The nearly 6,000 law enforcement personnel outnumbered the 5,000 protesters who had come to the city. Needless to say, crime dropped steeply. On the other hand, so did the need for EMTs. For instance, at times every ambulance in the city sat idle!  Thousands of police vehicles, driven by mostly out-of-towners, managed to navigate the maze of city streets without a single accident. That was perhaps the most surprising thing to come out of the two days.

Leaders of the 20 largest economies in the world came to discuss matters in Pittsburgh.

VisitPittsburgh hopes that the G-20 Summit helps tourism and attracting conventions.  It did raise interest on the global stage. As a result of the summit, the city was awarded another international event.  Pittsburgh will be the North American host city for the 2010 United Nations World Environment Day.  Meanwhile, perhaps the highest praise came from the Italian-born songwriter, singer, former model, and the current French First Lady. Carla Bruni-Sarkozy said, “I think I wish I could stay a little longer because we only stay one-and-a-half days.”

She added, “But I think it’s beautiful.” I don’t think VisitPittsburgh could have asked for a better spokeswoman in the world.

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2009 State College Meet

Today was the second meet in Happy Valley but unlike the first edition, Mother Nature gave us a rain-free day.  I’d like to thank all who attended and for making the trip for the 2009 State College Meet.

The meet began at 12 PM at Hoss’s Steak & Sea on Business US 322 (North Atherton Street).  Food was good as well as the conversations.  Many of the attendees brought road-related materials to peruse as well as to keep:  Steve Alpert – Florida Turnpike maps; H.B. Elkins – new Kentucky and West Virginia maps; and Doug Kerr – Interstate 87 Northway maps. I brought some recent official state maps from Kentucky, Maryland, Tennessee, and of course, Pennsylvania.

Group picture of those who attended the 2009 State College Meet.
Left to right: Oscar Voss, Doug Lowmaster, Mike Barron, John Krakoff, Jeff Kitsko, Doug Kerr, Brian Rawson-Ketchum, Denny Pine, Brian Powell, Scott Onson, and Adam Froehlig

After lunch, we hopped in our cars and drove down via former US 220/US 322 to PA 550. On this road is the location of the first stop on the 2005 Meet tour. It provides a good view of the completed Interstate 99.  Where the two roads cross is where some of the acid rock problems had occurred. The large retaining pond, constructed on the south side of the Interstate to catch acidic run-off, contained a good amount of water.

Continuing down former US 220/US 322, now known as SR 3042, we stopped at the top of Skytop Mountain. This provides a good vantage point which overlooks the Interstate everyone loves to hate.  Construction crews discovered pyritic rock in this area, which eventually stalled work on Interstate 99 until a solution was devised. The plan included removing the disturbed rock and keeping the remainder at the location.  It is easy to see where the undisturbed acid rock is located.  Mesh and rocks cover it to prevent erosion.

We continued on SR 3042 to SR 3040 to Port Matilda, passing through the trumpet interchange where “END” and “BEGIN” signage still exist for Alternate US 220.  I would expect it to be decommissioned before the next official state map. The reason being there is no mention of the route on new signage on Interstate 80 or before the trumpet.

In the now traffic-thinned Port Matilda, we took Interstate 99 north back to State College.  The view from the alignment as it climbs Skytop is fantastic and will be spectacular in Fall.  We got to see in greater clarity the acid rock remediation as we headed back to the restaurant.

A few of the attendees had to leave at this point. The remainder of the group continued into State College on Business US 322.  From there, we then headed north on PA 26 to the southern stub of the Bellefonte Bypass.  It is now a ramp onto Interstate 99/US 220; however, there were plans to continue it south to the end of the US 322 expressway north of Lewistown.

Following northbound Interstate 99/US 220/PA 26, we turned off onto the former route of 26 right before the current interchange with Interstate 80.  There is earth moving taking place for the relocation of Jacksonville Road, which is part of the plan for the future Interstate 80/Interstate 99 directional “Y.”

After which we head back to Hoss’s where we said our farewells, and headed to our respective destinations after the 2009 State College Meet.

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Community Day on the Expressway

Today was the latest of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission’s “Community Day on the Expressway” events, and this is the third one which I have attended. However, this is the first one I went to for a section of roadway which I was also at its groundbreaking ceremony.

The festivities took place just outside of Uniontown on the newest section of the Mon-Fayette Expressway. It will open to traffic on October 23.  These are nice events that the PTC holds prior to opening a new section of roadway, plus they give the public the chance to preview the new roadway.

Today’s “Community Day” took place at Exit 18. It was held in partnership with the Fayette Chamber of Commerce, Steps to a Healthier PA – Fayette County, the National Road Heritage Corridor, and construction manager TCMS-Maguire.

Steps to a Healthier PA – Fayette County sponsored a Family Fun Walk.  Although it began at 9 AM, it lasted the rest of the day. The public was welcome to walk, jog, as well as bike on eight miles of the road. However, school buses provided a quicker tour if you did not want to use those options to view Turnpike 43. After that, the next part of the event was the “Modes of Transportation” parade at 10 AM.

Fifteen vendors selling food and crafts lined the road. A children’s area had balloon art from Airheads Balloon Art to keep the kids busy. The Rainbow Express trackless train was available for them to ride around on the roadway nearby.  In addition, there were informational booths from the Turnpike Commission and the National Road Heritage Corridor.

Vendors of all kinds line the northbound lanes of PA Turnpike 43 for Community Day on the Expressway.
Food vendors, informational booths, and a children’s area were provided
The Rainbow Express trackless train was one of several activities for children during Community Day on the Expressway.
The Rainbow Express trackless train was one of several activities for children

Residents Get Close-Up View of Expressway – Uniontown Herald Standard

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Winter 2007 SWPA Meet

Saturday was the latest edition of the longest running road enthusiast meets. I’d like to thank all who traveled both near and far to attend the Winter 2007 SWPA Meet.

The meet began at 12 PM at Garfield’s in the Uniontown Mall on US 40 near the US 119 interchange.  The food and conversation was excellent as always.  I provided each attendee with a copy of the 2007 PennDOT map.

After the lunch portion, we headed down US 40 to see the new Brownsville Connector.  We decided to make the Searights Toll House the first stop, and it’s best that we did.  I noticed that one of the windows appeared to be open.  Upon further examination, it wasn’t open. Rather, someone had taken one of the bricks from the steps and smashed the window.  In addition, there were rips and pulls in several places in the screen on the screen door at the entrance.  After calling 911, they informed me that the police would investigate and the proprietors would be notified.

Searights Toll House was one of the stops during the Winter 2007 SWPA Meet.
Searights Toll House

The next stop was to see the new US 40 connector that just opened east of Brownsville.  What struck the attendees of the 2006 gathering was the former partially constructed interchange just north of PA 166, where US 40 traffic would turn to continue, has been replaced with an at-grade intersection.  Even though last year, we noticed grading for what appeared to be the other entrance/exit ramps had taken place, which is noted on the US 40 page.  Also, PA 166’s northern terminus has not moved to intersect the new US 40 alignment. The route still ends at the former intersection, a block to the south.  Grading at the future PA Turnpike 43 interchange, which is currently a temporary end until the loop around Brownsville opens, is complete.

On the way back to Uniontown, we took a small detour over a new connector road built between PA 51 and US 40. It will serve an interchange of PA Turnpike 43 and is five lanes wide (four travel lanes and a center turn lane). This roadway is located through the area where I attended the groundbreaking for the Uniontown/Brownsville section.

We took PA 43/PA Turnpike 43 south and stopped at the current end at Gans Road. Afterwards, we continued south into West Virginia to see how they are progressing on their section.  From PA 857/WV Secondary 857, it is possible to see the bridge on the state line is complete. It includes a “Welcome to West Virginia” sign gantry.  Turning off onto Morgan’s Run Road, we had an up-close look at another pair of spans taking shape and saw a completed section of WV 43 with signage already installed.  Back at 857 we continued south to the Cheat Lake interchange. There we saw the construction taking place in preparation of the directional “T” interchange between Interstate 68 and WV 43.

After turning around, we headed back to Garfield’s. There we said our goodbyes, Merry Christmases, Happy New Years, and headed to our respective destinations after the Winter 2007 SWPA Meet.

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