Mon-Fayette Expressway

[iBallasticwolf2]

Also, this is timely from the Mon-Fayette discussion.  They are in fact dropping the leg into Pittsburgh and keeping the leg that goes more east towards Monroeville.

http://www.post-gazette.com/news/transportation/2015/06/18/Turnpike-officials-revive-Mon-Fayette-Expressway-extension/stories/201506180044

Maybe we can finally have a freeway going to I-376. AET would be great for such a freeway. What bridge design would be used for the Mon's bridge over the Monongahela River?

That's a poor decision choice. An alternate way to get directly south of Pittsburgh and a connector between downtown Pittsburgh and I-68 would have been much more better. I-79 between I-376 and the WV line can be congested, but nope! They decided with Pittsburgh's suburbs.

There was oppostion with going into downtown Pittsburgh.

[cpzilliacus]

There was NIMBY opposition with going into downtown Pittsburgh.

FTFY.

[iBallasticwolf2]

Hey building the freeway in East Pittsburgh is better than no freeway extension. Plus it has AET! If the freeway was built earlier AET might not have been used.

[Gnutella]

The Monroeville segment needs to be extended up Thompson Run past I-376 to the Pennsylvania Turnpike. That way eastbound Turnpike traffic heading for the Mon-Fayette Expressway southbound won't have to use I-376, and neither will northbound Mon-Fayette traffic heading for the Turnpike westbound. Also, it'd create a continuous three-quarters beltway from Cranberry around to Pittsburgh International Airport. I doubt it'll ever be a full beltway, though, because there are a lot of rich suburbs between the airport and Cranberry, and the real estate is some of the most expensive in western Pennsylvania.

[iBallasticwolf2]

The Monroeville segment needs to be extended up Thompson Run past I-376 to the Pennsylvania Turnpike. That way eastbound Turnpike traffic heading for the Mon-Fayette Expressway southbound won't have to use I-376, and neither will northbound Mon-Fayette traffic heading for the Turnpike westbound. Also, it'd create a continuous three-quarters beltway from Cranberry around to Pittsburgh International Airport. I doubt it'll ever be a full beltway, though, because there are a lot of rich suburbs between the airport and Cranberry, and the real estate is some of the most expensive in western Pennsylvania.

Also remember I-576 to add on to the beltway aspect. I do think the Mon-Fayette should go to the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

[wphiii]

There was NIMBY opposition with going into downtown Pittsburgh.

FTFY.

It would have been quite difficult to forge a direct connection between Downtown and the MFE without cutting through large swaths of already-developed land. The proposed arm between East Pittsburgh and 376 in Oakland that was nixed would also have been highly destructive for Braddock and Hazelwood, which are struggling enough to come back as it is, not to mention problematic for a couple of major planned brownfield developments along the Mon. Cry NIMBYism all you want, but the only reasonable and realistic option is the one they're trying to go ahead with now.

[ARMOURERERIC]

Like I suggested:  Make the Mifflin Road corridor a parkway facility from 43 to the Glenwood bridge with a 3 lane reversible HOT lane from the bridge to the Parkway

[JawnwoodS96]

Well, at least there's an initiative to complete it now, even without the PGH leg.

[ARMOURERERIC]

Will this require a total rework of the EIS?

[Henry]

IMO, building one half is better than just ending it in the middle of nowhere like it does now. And I'm in favor of building the eastern leg to Monroeville, because the western leg into downtown would be a colossal waste of money when you factor in the expense that comes with plowing through dense residential and commercial areas.

[Mr_Northside]

the western leg into downtown would be a colossal waste of money when you factor in the expense that comes with plowing through dense residential and commercial areas.

And carving it into the riverbank in the places that aren't as dense and commercial.  Even then, I don't know that I would call it a colossal waste.... it's just too damned expensive.

[Pete from Boston]

Is there a concomitant upgrade of Parkway East in this plan? 

Aside: is it "Parkway East" or "the Parkway East" in common usage?

[Gnutella]

Is there a concomitant upgrade of Parkway East in this plan? 

Aside: is it "Parkway East" or "the Parkway East" in common usage?

PennDOT District 11 doesn't have the balls to properly correct the Parkway West, let alone the Parkway East. If I'm the head honcho in Harrisburg, I'm allocating ZERO to District 11 for "improvements" to the Parkways East and West until they put together an actual plan to widen them to six lanes (not including truck lanes on the long ascents) and upgrade them to proper Interstate standards. Even if the improvements can only be done incrementally, District 11 needs to actually have a fucking plan, instead of this band-aid bullshit they've been doing for the last 10 years.

[froggie]

As I recall, there's some pretty tight ROW confines along there, especially Parkway West.  ROW costs alone are likely keeping any meaningful widening or standard upgrade dormant...

[wphiii]

Aside: is it "Parkway East" or "the Parkway East" in common usage?

With article.

[Mr_Northside]

PennDOT District 11 doesn't have the balls to properly correct the Parkway West, let alone the Parkway East.

I've never heard the word "balls" used as slang for "Money" before...

[iBallasticwolf2]

PennDOT District 11 doesn't have the Money to properly correct the Parkway West, let alone the Parkway East. Also NIMBYs would ruin the plans

FTFY

[The Ghostbuster]

Why do I have the feeling the Mon-Fayette Expressway will never go further north than State Highway 51?

[DeaconG]

^^^Why do I have the feeling you are correct?

[iBallasticwolf2]

Why do I have a feeling ROW acqusistion will be complete but construction will halt?

[Duke87]

IMO, building one half is better than just ending it in the middle of nowhere like it does now. And I'm in favor of building the eastern leg to Monroeville, because the western leg into downtown would be a colossal waste of money when you factor in the expense that comes with plowing through dense residential and commercial areas.

Looks like the eastern leg is no cakewalk either. Some (although perhaps not as much) old growth development will have to be plowed through to make even that happen.

I've always wondered looking at the north end of the highway how they intended to extend it to a more useful terminus, since there's obviously no way to extend it much further than it currently goes without substantial use of eminent domain. And while it pleases me to see signs that doing that might still be possible, I have to question PA's priorities here given the already low traffic counts on PA 43. If the road were to be extended directly to downtown Pittsburgh from its current end, that *might* have some use, but the current plan has it heading on a completely perpendicular alignment to that, thus rendering it useless for anyone looking to get downtown from near it.

Frankly, doing anything at this point seems somewhat porkish to me. Of course, the proposed section which has been saved for last is the least porkish section of the whole road. Ah well, at least it's being tolled to help pay for it.


On that note, what percent of PA 43's costs are being covered by the tolls on it? Is it anything significant?

[ARMOURERERIC]

I was sent a link about 10 days ago and cannot find it now or via search but the article indicated that the City of Pittsburgh may embark on a plan to slowly buy up properties along Saw Mill Run Blvd and create a real parkway, obviously this would take years to accomplish, but it would help.

[CanesFan27]

I was sent a link about 10 days ago and cannot find it now or via search but the article indicated that the City of Pittsburgh may embark on a plan to slowly buy up properties along Saw Mill Run Blvd and create a real parkway, obviously this would take years to accomplish, but it would help.

The Levitske's won't sell.

[Mr_Northside]

There's a lot of discussion and "plans" over the Saw Mill Run corridor.....
Beyond the roadway, a major issue is also Saw Mill Run - the creek itself- and flooding issues.

Personally, I classify it all as "I'll believe it when I see it".
Though they are almost done with the 51-88 Jughandle / intersection project - so what you see (or about to see) is what you get for the southernmost portion of Rt. 51 in the City [limits] for the next couple of decades.

[PITCHS]

There's a lot of discussion and "plans" over the Saw Mill Run corridor.....
Beyond the roadway, a major issue is also Saw Mill Run - the creek itself- and flooding issues.

Personally, I classify it all as "I'll believe it when I see it".
Though they are almost done with the 51-88 Jughandle / intersection project - so what you see (or about to see) is what you get for the southernmost portion of Rt. 51 in the City [limits] for the next couple of decades.

It's worth noting this project is doing nothing to alleviate storm water issues in the one area that's plagued the most by them. I agree any tangible improvements aside from a traffic related project here or there is a long way off, the best we can hope for it incremental improvements going forward. A big mistake IMO to not at least do something to address the chronic flooding problem here.