PA - US 219 Expressway Could Begin This Year

Started by PAHighways, January 20, 2010, 07:14:38 PM

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seicer

Quote from: Bitmapped on January 29, 2018, 12:06:38 AM
I use I-68 and the existing US 219 through here frequently. Some traffic signals at the I-68 ramps would be nice, but other than that, the existing US 219 is adequate.

I don't see there being much advantage to the construction as proposed. Either build a new interchange with a direct tie-in to I-68 or just leave things as they are. If you want to spend money in Garrett County, completing the Oakland bypass would be more useful.

I wasn't even aware Oakland was getting a bypass. Isn't it a bit too rural for one?


Bitmapped

Quote from: seicer on February 08, 2018, 12:41:48 AM
Quote from: Bitmapped on January 29, 2018, 12:06:38 AM
I use I-68 and the existing US 219 through here frequently. Some traffic signals at the I-68 ramps would be nice, but other than that, the existing US 219 is adequate.

I don't see there being much advantage to the construction as proposed. Either build a new interchange with a direct tie-in to I-68 or just leave things as they are. If you want to spend money in Garrett County, completing the Oakland bypass would be more useful.

I wasn't even aware Oakland was getting a bypass. Isn't it a bit too rural for one?

I think the project's roots go back to 1960, when US 219 was relocated south of MD 135.  A 0.25-mile section of the bypass exists north of MD 135, and SHA bought ROW for more in 2007, but the project has stalled since then. About another mile's worth of ROW would need to be bought for completion.

Existing US 219 gets 13,000 VPD, has two 90-degree turns, and goes through 2 miles of high and medium density development. The bypass isn't a high priority but would be beneficial. If Maryland is dedicated to spending money in Garrett County, this project would make a lot more sense than the part north of I-68. The new bypass there would only serve 4100 VPD and basically just cuts off a traffic signal.

SHA bought about half the ROW needed, but then the project stalled about 15 years ago. There are 13,000 vehicles through day passing through 2 miles of town and two 90-degree turns.

It's not an urgently needed project, which is why it's been shelved, but if Maryland is going to spend money in Garrett County, this is a better place than north of I-68 which has only 4100 VPD.

Oakland isn't a huge town, but it is the county seat and major shopping area for Garrett County. US 219 has two miles through town with two 90-degree turns. This stretch has about 13,000 vehicles per day, triple the amount of traffic on the piece of US 219 near the PA line. It's not an urgently needed project, but if you're throwing money at Garrett County, this makes more sense to build out than what is proposed now.

rickmastfan67

Maybe MD thinks the traffic will shoot up a lot once the missing segment between the two freeways parts in PA opens later.

wphiii

Is this thing opening soon or what?

Also, has there been any movement on what, if anything, the current portion of 219 between Meyersdale the interchange outside Somerset is going to be designated?

qguy

You'd think that for a major chunk of new-terrain freeway like this, and one so long in the making and highly anticipated, PennDOT would have a lot more information about it online. Instead, PennDOT is handling the communication like its 1988, not 2018. No dedicated website, no regular updates, no images, no easily accessible information at all. Only a relative handful of text-only press releases... if you know where to look for them.

It's a textbook case of how not to communicate with the public in the online, internet era.

Mr_Northside

Quote from: wphiii on September 11, 2018, 11:56:44 PM
Is this thing opening soon or what?

It should be opening fairly soon - I think I've read by the end of fall.
I was just out there last Saturday on my way back from the beach.... it seems like the pavement is there in all the spots I could see.  It seems like it just needs paint, signs, guiderails - that kind of stuff.
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

BrianP

There have been hiccups but I'm not sure how much that they set things back as the end date has always been fall of this year IIRC.
QuoteConstruction crews have hit a few road blocks. Fifteen-hundred feet of concrete needed to be torn up because it didn't meet PennDOT standards. Rain has also delayed paving.
https://www.wearecentralpa.com/news/drivers-anxious-to-hit-the-road-on-route-219/1310230146

jemacedo9


Bitmapped

#183
I caught the tail end of PennDOT Community Day for the new US 219 Somerset-Meyersdale freeway today. To access it, you entered the new freeway southbound from Plank Road (old US 219) and drove for 1.3 miles to just south of the Walters Mill Road overpass, where you used a median crossover and parked in the northbound lanes. From there, you could walk or bike down to Mud Pike. There were 3 staffed stations set up along the way.

Considering the weather was mid-40s and rainy, they seemed to have a decent turnout when I was there near the end of the period. I only walked about a half mile due to limited time, but there were plenty of other walkers and people on bikes.

There is still a good bit of work that needs done at this stage. Lane striping and reflectors need installed, the cable median guardrail needs finished, some signage still remains to go up, and they still seem to be doing some grading for drainage beside the roadway.

The new road has Interstate-style green mile markers but no exit numbers. Old US 219 (Plank Road) is signed as Berlin/Somerset with no route shield, so I guess it's not getting a Business 219 designation. Mud Pike was signed without a shield either. I'm kind of surprised there's no new route number being assigned to connect Berlin to Somerset.

Roadsguy

Quote from: Bitmapped on October 27, 2018, 10:28:47 PM
There is still a good bit of work that needs done at this stage. Lane striping and reflectors need installed, the cable median guardrail needs finished, some signage still remains to go up, and they still seem to be doing some grading for drainage beside the roadway.

Is the signage Highway Gothic or Clearview?

Quote from: Bitmapped on October 27, 2018, 10:28:47 PM
The new road has Interstate-style green mile markers but no exit numbers.

This is normal for Pennsylvania. Non-Interstates, even long-distance corridors, generally don't have exit numbers. The ones that do are usually for a reason. They either are or once were intended to be an interstate (US 220 and 15 north of I-80, PA 581), were once an Interstate (PA 378), are a PTC-owned toll road, or they just felt like adding them, I guess (PA 28, US 6 Scranton-Carbondale).

Quote from: Bitmapped on October 27, 2018, 10:28:47 PM
Old US 219 (Plank Road) is signed as Berlin/Somerset with no route shield, so I guess it's not getting a Business 219 designation. Mud Pike was signed with a shield either. I'm kind of surprised there's no new route number being assigned to connect Berlin to Somerset.

I'm more surprised that the Plank Road exit isn't signed directly as the way to the Turnpike, at least from northbound. They have you go all the way up to the PA 601 exit for that. Coming out of the toll plaza, the PTC sends you via PA 281 to get to 219.

I suppose a southerly PA 601 extension to Meyersdale would make the most sense to give it a number. Maybe even have it take over Business 219 through the town.
Mileage-based exit numbering implies the existence of mileage-cringe exit numbering.

Bitmapped

Quote from: Roadsguy on October 27, 2018, 11:31:25 PM
Is the signage Highway Gothic or Clearview?
Highway Gothic, but it has the problem common to a lot of PennDOT signage with mismatched letter heights.

Quote from: Roadsguy on October 27, 2018, 11:31:25 PM
Quote from: Bitmapped on October 27, 2018, 10:28:47 PM
Old US 219 (Plank Road) is signed as Berlin/Somerset with no route shield, so I guess it's not getting a Business 219 designation. Mud Pike was signed without a shield either. I'm kind of surprised there's no new route number being assigned to connect Berlin to Somerset.

I'm more surprised that the Plank Road exit isn't signed directly as the way to the Turnpike, at least from northbound. They have you go all the way up to the PA 601 exit for that. Coming out of the toll plaza, the PTC sends you via PA 281 to get to 219.
Somerset really is a mess. There's no good way between the Turnpike and 219. Although a lesser concern, there's also no good route from PA 31 to either or from PA 281 south to either without running all around town.

While it would be theoretically possible with AET to have a higih-speed connection between the Turnpike and 219, there's development all around there. Probably the best thing would be a Turnpike/31 interchange paired with a 219/31 interchange or a pair of double trumpets with a spur to 31.

Quote from: Roadsguy on October 27, 2018, 11:31:25 PM
I suppose a southerly PA 601 extension to Meyersdale would make the most sense to give it a number. Maybe even have it take over Business 219 through the town.
I could see that. I'd probably extend PA 653 to the northern end of the Meyersdale bypass and demote the existing 219 between Garrett and Berlin to a quadrant route.

Roadsguy

Quote from: Bitmapped on October 28, 2018, 10:44:12 AM
Quote from: Roadsguy on October 27, 2018, 11:31:25 PM
Is the signage Highway Gothic or Clearview?
Highway Gothic, but it has the problem common to a lot of PennDOT signage with mismatched letter heights.

:banghead:

Honestly, if I were there, I'd have found someone to comment to about that.

Fortunately I don't remember seeing this recurring error anywhere outside of western PA. I don't know what it is with those handful of districts that all get it so wrong, but not in central or southeastern PA.
Mileage-based exit numbering implies the existence of mileage-cringe exit numbering.

Mr_Northside

Quote from: Bitmapped on October 28, 2018, 10:44:12 AM
While it would be theoretically possible with AET to have a high-speed connection between the Turnpike and 219, there's development all around there. Probably the best thing would be a Turnpike/31 interchange paired with a 219/31 interchange or a pair of double trumpets with a spur to 31.

Yeah.... while it's now been a few years since they rebuilt those service plazas immediately after the US-219 overpasses to the west, they're certainly new enough still they'll be around for decades.  Someone is trying to build some kind of business park in the NE quadrant of that junction....
It is slightly ironic as (almost certainly) AET is gradually coming to the Turnpike, that the best chance of a free-flowing link would be a "traditional" turnpike double-trumpet interchange.

Of course, as of now, it's not like anything is going to happen to create that connection.
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

Beltway

Quote from: Mr_Northside on October 29, 2018, 08:53:39 PM
It is slightly ironic as (almost certainly) AET is gradually coming to the Turnpike, that the best chance of a free-flowing link would be a "traditional" turnpike double-trumpet interchange.

There is ample room on the NE and SE quadrants to build a double-trumpet interchange.  That would be a vast improvement over the local connections.
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Roadsguy

Quote from: Beltway on October 29, 2018, 09:00:56 PM
Quote from: Mr_Northside on October 29, 2018, 08:53:39 PM
It is slightly ironic as (almost certainly) AET is gradually coming to the Turnpike, that the best chance of a free-flowing link would be a "traditional" turnpike double-trumpet interchange.

There is ample room on the NE and SE quadrants to build a double-trumpet interchange.  That would be a vast improvement over the local connections.

Yeah, and I'm not sure this connection needs an actual high-speed interchange with flyovers. I don't know what expected traffic volumes would be if 219 were a full freeway from I-68 to I-80 or I-86, but in a flatter state it probably would've been built as a cloverleaf today, and a modern double-trumpet with no toll plaza isn't much worse and takes the weave away from the mainlines entirely.
Mileage-based exit numbering implies the existence of mileage-cringe exit numbering.

rickmastfan67


Roadsguy

Clearview and oversized capital letters on that sign? :no:

Still, great to see this finally opening. Interesting how that one bridge seems to be paved with asphalt despite the generally concrete road.
Mileage-based exit numbering implies the existence of mileage-cringe exit numbering.

Henry

From the looks of this, the new US 219 will be a much more pleasant drive than the old two-laner. Just another piece of a much larger puzzle that is a nonstop route from I-68 to Buffalo, NY, falling into place.
Go Cubs Go! Go Cubs Go! Hey Chicago, what do you say? The Cubs are gonna win today!

Beltway

Quote from: Henry on November 21, 2018, 09:51:56 AM
From the looks of this, the new US 219 will be a much more pleasant drive than the old two-laner. Just another piece of a much larger puzzle that is a nonstop route from I-68 to Buffalo, NY, falling into place.

Are there any US 219 Expressway plans at all north of Ebensburg, PA?
http://www.roadstothefuture.com
http://www.capital-beltway.com

Baloney is a reserved word on the Internet
    (Robert Coté, 2002)

Henry

Quote from: Beltway on November 21, 2018, 09:53:58 AM
Quote from: Henry on November 21, 2018, 09:51:56 AM
From the looks of this, the new US 219 will be a much more pleasant drive than the old two-laner. Just another piece of a much larger puzzle that is a nonstop route from I-68 to Buffalo, NY, falling into place.

Are there any US 219 Expressway plans at all north of Ebensburg, PA?
AFAIK, it's all a part of the Continental 1 corridor that has been proposed for almost two decades.
Go Cubs Go! Go Cubs Go! Hey Chicago, what do you say? The Cubs are gonna win today!

Beltway

Quote from: Henry on November 21, 2018, 10:07:15 AM
Quote from: Beltway on November 21, 2018, 09:53:58 AM
Quote from: Henry on November 21, 2018, 09:51:56 AM
From the looks of this, the new US 219 will be a much more pleasant drive than the old two-laner. Just another piece of a much larger puzzle that is a nonstop route from I-68 to Buffalo, NY, falling into place.
Are there any US 219 Expressway plans at all north of Ebensburg, PA?
AFAIK, it's all a part of the Continental 1 corridor that has been proposed for almost two decades.

Proposed by who?  PA US-219 is not a Congressional High Priority Corridor.
http://www.roadstothefuture.com
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Baloney is a reserved word on the Internet
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briantroutman

The Continental 1 corridor coalition is still in existence. In Pennsylvania, the effort was largely championed by the late Rep. Jack Martha. From what I understand, there was something of a "pork war"  in PA transportation funding in the '90s–Murtha pushing for freeway upgrades to US 219 while his colleague Bud Shuster fought for US 220 funding. We all know who got further, faster.

Beltway

Quote from: briantroutman on November 21, 2018, 01:26:11 PM
The Continental 1 corridor coalition is still in existence. In Pennsylvania, the effort was largely championed by the late Rep. Jack Martha. From what I understand, there was something of a “pork war” in PA transportation funding in the ’90s—Murtha pushing for freeway upgrades to US 219 while his colleague Bud Shuster fought for US 220 funding. We all know who got further, faster.

I saw that webpage already.  Nothing official, just the wishes of some local business persons.  Good luck getting 100+ miles of freeway built north of Ebensburg, given the costs and low traffic.
http://www.roadstothefuture.com
http://www.capital-beltway.com

Baloney is a reserved word on the Internet
    (Robert Coté, 2002)

Bitmapped

There's really no need to continue US 219 north of Ebensburg as a freeway, but there are locations that could use spot improvements. I would like to see a 2-lane bypass of Northern Cambria, similar to what was done at Johnsonburg. Northern Cambria doesn't have a lot of population, only about 3800 people, but it's 4.4 miles long along US 219 and takes a long time to go through.

Roadsguy

OSM is now updated. Someone already switched the tags from construction to completed motorway, but they left all the route tags alone. :ded:
Mileage-based exit numbering implies the existence of mileage-cringe exit numbering.



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