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[Bitmapped]

CE Expert System:
District 12:  US 40/PA 281 Turn Lane Upgrades

This project also involves changes to turn lanes at the PA 380/PA 366 interchange in Westmoreland County.

For the US 40/PA 281 part, the two routes briefly multiplex here. US 40 is 3 lanes with a dedicated left turn lane by the western intersection, but by eastern intersection it is 4 lanes without a dedicated turn lane because of adjacent hills. It looks like they plane to restripe it here for 3 lanes to give a dedicated left turn lane. I would not favor such a project because this is one of the few good passing opportunities on US 40 east of Uniontown.

[74/171FAN]

(For US 119) PennDOT - District 12 News: Depot Street Intermittent Road Closures Scheduled to Begin Next Week in Westmoreland County

(For I-79 and PA 65) PennDOT - District 11 News: Route 65 On-ramps to Southbound I-79 Long-term Closure Begins Monday in Allegheny County

(For I-376 and PA 885) PennDOT - District 11 News: Westbound I-376 Ramp to Northbound Boulevard of the Allies Overnight Closures Next Week in Pittsburgh

(For PA 551) PennDOT - District 11 News: Route 551 Enon Road Bridge Replacement Underway in North Beaver Township

[JawnwoodS96]

Regarding the new SPUI for the I-79 Wexford interchange, I mostly endorse it, though I do have some issues, the most prominent of which being the two east-bound turning lanes coming from 1-79 N, which is the whole reason for the redesign. Currently the exit (going northbound) has three lanes: one heading west toward Nicholson, middle lane turning east onto 910 where the driver gets to choose which of the two eastbound lanes to turn into (left lane for Mingo, right lane for 910 E), and the right lane for Brandt School. With the new redesign, drivers going eastbound on 910 and looking to turn onto Brandt will have to share the right lane, as the middle lane is slated for the left lane on 910, which quickly turns into a turning lane for Mingo. My fear is that once this is recognized by drivers, the right lane will be bogged down and cause traffic hiccups, as no one will want to deal with merging from the left turn lane once already on 910 E.

I also have concerns about the decel lane from I-79 N. I think (and have thought this for years, growing up in the North Hills) the fourth lane coming from I-279 needs to be extended through to the Wexford exit. Yes, that'd cause some weaving issues for drivers coming from I-79 rather than 279, but it would eliminate the merging headaches.

[74/171FAN]

(For PA 168) PennDOT - District 11 News: Route 168 Eastbrook Road Bridge Long-term Closure Begins Today in Hickory Township

[Mr_Northside]

I think (and have thought this for years, growing up in the North Hills) the fourth lane coming from I-279 needs to be extended through to the Wexford exit. Yes, that'd cause some weaving issues for drivers coming from I-79 rather than 279, but it would eliminate the merging headaches.

I've also thought that for quite some time.   Even before (or especially before) they extended 279's right lane to end after I-279 ends, instead of pinching it down to one lane before becoming I-79.
I always figured @ 910 the far right would be exit only, and they could make the next-to-right lane an option lane for either 910 or 79 for slightly less weaving.

[74/171FAN]

(For I-579 and PA 885) PennDOT - District 11 News: Southbound I-579 Ramp to Southbound Boulevard of the Allies Overnight Closure Wednesday Night in Pittsburgh


(For I-376 and PA 885) PennDOT - District 11 News: I-376 Parkway East Daylight Traffic Stoppages Begin Wednesday in Pittsburgh

[74/171FAN]

(For PA 356) PennDOT - District 12 News: Route 356 Road Closure to Begin Next Week in Westmoreland County

[74/171FAN]

PennDOT - District 11 News: Northbound Highland Park Bridge Ramp to Northbound Freeport Road Closure Wednesday in Sharpsburg

PennDOT - District 11 News: Birmingham Bridge Ramp to Forbes Avenue Closure Begins Wednesday in Pittsburgh

[74/171FAN]

CE Expert System:

District 11: PA 18 Rochester-Monaca Bridge

(For PA 351)  PennDOT - District 11 News: Route 351 Arthur Street Emergency Railroad Track Repairs Today in Koppel Borough

(For PA 28)  PennDOT - District 11 News: Northbound Route 28 Overnight Traffic Stoppages Tonight in Sharpsburg

(For I-579 and PA 885)  PennDOT - District 11 News: Southbound I-579 Ramp to Southbound Boulevard of the Allies Overnight Closure Thursday Night in Pittsburgh

(For PA 28)  PennDOT - District 11 News: Northbound Highland Park Bridge Ramp to Southbound Route 28 Reconstruction Continues Monday in Sharpsburg

[74/171FAN]

(For I-376 and PA 885) PennDOT - District 11 News: I-376 Parkway East, Route 885 Daylight Traffic Stoppages Next Week in Pittsburgh

[JawnwoodS96]

74/171FAN, seeing as you work for PennDOT, if you don't mind me asking, does PennDOT even have widening of the Penn Lincoln Parkway (and/or Schuylkill Expressway) on their radar? It's one thing to avoid widening it to Texas levels of urban interstate, but when you have the most populous and busiest highways in the state that are substandard and have been for nearly 50 years, it just seems odd that they're not even considering it.

[Bitmapped]

74/171FAN, seeing as you work for PennDOT, if you don't mind me asking, does PennDOT even have widening of the Penn Lincoln Parkway (and/or Schuylkill Expressway) on their radar? It's one thing to avoid widening it to Texas levels of urban interstate, but when you have the most populous and busiest highways in the state that are substandard and have been for nearly 50 years, it just seems odd that they're not even considering it.

Widening and reconstructing both routes would be tremendously expensive. PennDOT has been making steady progress with spot widening on the Parkway West (nobody calls it the Penn Lincoln Parkway) over the past decade and more widening is in the works as part of the Banksville Road interchange reconfiguration.

The real problem on the Parkway East and Parkway West are the interchanges, and to a lesser extent, the tunnels. Reconfiguring interchanges to eliminate weaves, extending climbing lanes, and providing reasonable-length merge areas would tremendously help improve traffic flow. Those sorts of projects are, rightfully, where PennDOT has been spending its cash on this corridor.

[74/171FAN]

74/171FAN, seeing as you work for PennDOT, if you don't mind me asking, does PennDOT even have widening of the Penn Lincoln Parkway (and/or Schuylkill Expressway) on their radar? It's one thing to avoid widening it to Texas levels of urban interstate, but when you have the most populous and busiest highways in the state that are substandard and have been for nearly 50 years, it just seems odd that they're not even considering it.

I generally do not receive any information working for Central Office that is not already public.  This website exists for the plans for I-76.  However, make sure to limit discussion on that to the Philly thread.

I am not aware of any discussion involving I-376 beyond spot-interchange improvements (such as the DDI conversion at US 22/US 30/PA 60) and reconstruction.  However, the best source of information on that would be District 11.

[JawnwoodS96]

I generally do not receive any information working for Central Office that is not already public.  This website exists for the plans for I-76.  However, make sure to limit discussion on that to the Philly thread.

I am not aware of any discussion involving I-376 beyond spot-interchange improvements (such as the DDI conversion at US 22/US 30/PA 60) and reconstruction.  However, the best source of information on that would be District 11.

Dang, I thought you might have something else outside of public knowledge  Oh well, thanks though.

As for the other points, thanks, but being the road junkie that I am (that we all are), I already scoped out those sites long ago, though I do continue to scout for updates.

As for referencing the Penn Lincoln Parkway by its full name, I wanted to mention both sides at once, not just one or the other, as nearly the entire stretch from BL-376 to Business-22 is substandard.

[74/171FAN]

(For PA 201 and I-70)  PennDOT - District 12 News: Route 201 Bridge Over Interstate 70 to Close in Westmoreland County - Multiple Detours and Traffic Impacts Can Be Expected