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Improvements Planned for I-70 in SW PA

Started by PAHighways, August 02, 2011, 06:51:36 PM

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Gnutella

Quote from: signalman on February 28, 2015, 11:57:13 AM
Quote from: Gnutella on February 28, 2015, 11:45:15 AM
Once PennDOT upgrades the substandard segments of I-70, I-78, I-80 and I-83, I hope they start putting the screws to any NIMBYs in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia who try to prevent I-76 and I-376 from being properly upgraded.
I'm not sure anyone on the forum will live long enough to see PennDOT fix all their substandard interstate segments and interchanges.

They've done preliminary design work on I-80 through Stroudsburg and East Stroudsburg, and are currently doing preliminary design work on I-83 past the north side of York. Major construction is ongoing on I-70 south of Pittsburgh. There's only 10 miles left of I-78 that needs to be upgraded.

Pennsylvania has only 195 miles of substandard Interstate, believe it or not, and the projects I mentioned will put a decent dent in that number, reducing it to about 150 or so.


signalman

I know about all of those projects.  I-80 and 83 are only in their infancy and PennDOT is not known for their speed.  They are especially slow right now, due in large part to financial constraints.  However, even when they were in better financial condition, projects moved at a snail's pace.

ARMOURERERIC

According to the PennDOT District 12 website, it appears the contract for the PA 481 interchange has been awarded and the contract bids for New Stanton were to be opened yesterday.

Gnutella

Quote from: ARMOURERERIC on June 19, 2015, 03:21:31 PM
According to the PennDOT District 12 website, it appears the contract for the PA 481 interchange has been awarded and the contract bids for New Stanton were to be opened yesterday.

How long typically does it take after a contract is awarded for the work to begin? Is it relatively quick?

Rothman

Quote from: Gnutella on June 20, 2015, 10:32:58 PM
Quote from: ARMOURERERIC on June 19, 2015, 03:21:31 PM
According to the PennDOT District 12 website, it appears the contract for the PA 481 interchange has been awarded and the contract bids for New Stanton were to be opened yesterday.

How long typically does it take after a contract is awarded for the work to begin? Is it relatively quick?

At least in NY for projects considered to be on the "state system" (like these would be), the time between actual award and construction work beginning can be relatively quick.

What's more of a mystery -- at least in NY -- are time periods between when funding is authorized and when expenditures actually start hitting the books -- especially for design/engineering phases and local projects.  Typically, for construction, the practice for federal funding is to get it authorized before advertisement -- this includes setting up a project identification number (PIN) that can start being charged so it's ready to go when the project is actually awarded (i.e., after the contract letting and the low bid is approved). 

Anyway, I'd bet NYSDOT isn't the only state DOT that is never satisfied with the quality of its programming estimates when reality actually catches up!
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

BigRedDog

Quote from: ARMOURERERIC on June 19, 2015, 03:21:31 PM
According to the PennDOT District 12 website, it appears the contract for the PA 481 interchange has been awarded and the contract bids for New Stanton were to be opened yesterday.

Last I saw, bids for the Bentleyville interchange are to open in mid-July. That'll be four construction projects in a ~40 mile stretch.

ARMOURERERIC

Took a quick look at the PennDOT District 12 website and have noted that the contracts for the Bentleyville and New Stanton interchanges have been awarded.

ARMOURERERIC

Also noting that the upgrade work on 70 from 79 south to 136 is scheduled to be let in mid April of 2016

ARMOURERERIC

Quote from: ARMOURERERIC on August 16, 2015, 06:06:21 PM
Also noting that the upgrade work on 70 from 79 south to 136 is scheduled to be let in mid April of 2016

I failed to note that on the same date in mid April 16, a contract to upgrade and rebuild 70 from 79S to 519 will be let as well.

Mr_Northside

I don't have opinions anymore. All I know is that no one is better than anyone else, and everyone is the best at everything

ARMOURERERIC

The bit about it being built on a new alignment 60 feet to the north was very interesting.

BrianP

My impression isn't that the ROW would move.  I think it was just bad wording.  Since the road is going from 4 lanes without shoulders to 6 lane interstate standards, it sounds like the ROW will be growing by 60 feet. 

Mr_Northside

Some aerial footage of the progress of the New Stanton interchange (apparently from yesterday) by a drone enthusiast.

https://youtu.be/9gw0_UKN1eE
I don't have opinions anymore. All I know is that no one is better than anyone else, and everyone is the best at everything

Gnutella

Oh, for crying out loud!

:eyebrow:

:pan:

Click on the smileys for more information.

Brandon

^^ How the fuck did the SUV driver manage that!!?
"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention." - Ramsay Bolton

"Symbolic of his struggle against reality." - Reg

Gnutella

Quote from: Brandon on March 15, 2017, 03:03:03 PM
^^ How the fuck did the SUV driver manage that!!?

He was probably like, "K PENCILVANIA HIGHWEIGHS IS ALL NARROW SO DIS MUST BEE A HIGHWEIGH LOLOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11"

Simple solution: Place a couple of bollards at the end of the bridge that the driver approached from.

Mr_Northside

http://triblive.com/local/westmoreland/12209975-74/i-70-bridge-work-in-new-stanton-that-led-to-traffic-delays-nearly

A couple of pics from the New Stanton construction area with an article about setting beams for the Center Ave. bridge.
I don't have opinions anymore. All I know is that no one is better than anyone else, and everyone is the best at everything

VTGoose

Quote from: Hoss6884 on October 12, 2017, 08:26:26 AM
It looks like work is beginning on the section between the southern/eastern end of the I-79 concurrency and Washington.  One curious thing I noticed on my drive through there on Saturday is the replacement of at least one BGS heading eastbound on I-70 that removes Waynesburg as a control city for I-79 south (only showing Morgantown).

Has there ever been a time when I-70 in and around Little Washington hasn't been under some type of construction/reconstruction/"improvement"?

Bruce in Blacksburg -- but a native of the 'Burgh
"Get in the fast lane, grandma!  The bingo game is ready to roll!"

ARMOURERERIC

Quote from: VTGoose on October 12, 2017, 11:09:45 AM
Quote from: Hoss6884 on October 12, 2017, 08:26:26 AM
It looks like work is beginning on the section between the southern/eastern end of the I-79 concurrency and Washington.  One curious thing I noticed on my drive through there on Saturday is the replacement of at least one BGS heading eastbound on I-70 that removes Waynesburg as a control city for I-79 south (only showing Morgantown).

Has there ever been a time when I-70 in and around Little Washington hasn't been under some type of construction/reconstruction/"improvement"?

Bruce in Blacksburg -- but a native of the 'Burgh


At least this time it's modern and 6 lanes between 79N and Murtland.  From what I understand this new work will make it 6 lanes to 519.

Hot Rod Hootenanny

Quote from: VTGoose on October 12, 2017, 11:09:45 AM
Quote from: Hoss6884 on October 12, 2017, 08:26:26 AM
It looks like work is beginning on the section between the southern/eastern end of the I-79 concurrency and Washington.  One curious thing I noticed on my drive through there on Saturday is the replacement of at least one BGS heading eastbound on I-70 that removes Waynesburg as a control city for I-79 south (only showing Morgantown).

Has there ever been a time when I-70 in and around Little Washington hasn't been under some type of construction/reconstruction/"improvement"?

Bruce in Blacksburg -- but a native of the 'Burgh


Yes. 1982& 83. 1999-2001.
Please, don't sue Alex & Andy over what I wrote above

Bitmapped

Quote from: Hoss6884 on October 12, 2017, 08:26:26 AM
It looks like work is beginning on the section between the southern/eastern end of the I-79 concurrency and Washington.  One curious thing I noticed on my drive through there on Saturday is the replacement of at least one BGS heading eastbound on I-70 that removes Waynesburg as a control city for I-79 south (only showing Morgantown).

The work has been going on for a couple months already. There was only one sign that listed Waynesburg in the sequence; the rest only said Morgantown which is the actual control city.

Gnutella

By the way, Pittsburgh really should be the control city for I-79 northbound from Morgantown onward. Having "Washington PA" as the control city would be like having Kankakee as the control city for I-57 northbound from Champaign/Urbana.

Revive 755

Quote from: Gnutella on October 28, 2017, 09:15:07 PM
By the way, Pittsburgh really should be the control city for I-79 northbound from Morgantown onward. Having "Washington PA" as the control city would be like having Kankakee as the control city for I-57 northbound from Champaign/Urbana.

While I agree Pittsburgh would be the better control city for I-79, I do not agree Washington is equivalent to Kankakee.  Washington, PA at least is a junction with another interstate.  There's probably some traffic that uses I-79 to get to I-70 from I-68 and then proceeds west on I-70.  Kankakee does not have another interstate which traffic may be getting onto from I-57.

Mr_Northside

http://triblive.com/local/westmoreland/12976782-74/redesigned-i-70-interchange-in-new-stanton-to-open-for-thanksgiving-commuters

The New Stanton project was declared completed on Tuesday.

I'll probably check it out tomorrow on my way to my parents, since I'll be hopping off the Turnpike there anyway.
I don't have opinions anymore. All I know is that no one is better than anyone else, and everyone is the best at everything

BigRedDog




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