I-376 to be Extended...Eventually

[treichard]

Go back to page 3 here.
https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=450.msg26970#msg26970

[J N Winkler]

It's worth noting also that 76609 and 86430, which were not available on ECMS at the time posts on that page were made, have been advertised and are now available too.  I haven't checked, but I think we may now have redesignation plans for all of I-376 except possibly the tolled section of SR 60.

[PAHighways]

SR 7060 wouldn't be in there since it falls under the jurisdiction of the Turnpike Commission.

[rickmastfan67]

SR 7060 wouldn't be in there since it falls under the jurisdiction of the Turnpike Commission.

I bet they will be changing that to SR 7376 once completed.

[PAHighways]

That is a pretty safe bet.

[PAHighways]

Inbound Parkway North Sign Changes Begin Thursday Night

[rickmastfan67]

Inbound Parkway North Sign Changes Begin Thursday Night

Hmmm, that's already done with the exit number changes in that area. LOL.  Unless they are installing new BGS's, which IMO aren't needed at this time.  The BGS's in that area are perfectly fine still.

Now, if anything, they still need to finish updating the exit numbers @ the Point on I-279.  Because the old numbers for Exit #6A and a few others are still posted in that area.

[Mr_Northside]

They actually already replaced most of the BGS's on the Pkwy North (both directions). (And I agree that some of them probably didn't even need to be replaced).  The only inbound ones that I don't think got replaced a few weeks ago were the really big diagram signs for the East St. exit & I-279/I-579 split.
And there seems to be signs on the Parkway West that were simply modified that actually could have used replacement (at least compared with some of the Pkwy North signs)

[Mr_Northside]

A bit of an example of PennDOT's right hand not knowing what it's left hand is doing....

http://kdka.com/local/penndot.road.closures.2.1266537.html

The outbound Parkway East will be closed nightly between exits 80 and 84. The on-ramp from Penn Hills to the outbound Parkway East will also be closed. The closures are so that crews can place structural beams for a new bridge in the area.

As of this morning, none of signs have been replaced at those exits yet indicating those exit numbers (Outbound they've made it up to the Forest Hills exit, and I don't think they've done any sign work inbound until after the Blvd. of the Allies), so the only people who would identify those exits (by number) are probably the sort of people who would read a forum like this.

That said, I'm sure most people will be able to figure it out anyway.

[rickmastfan67]

On my way back into town a few days ago, I noticed they finally got the new I-376 MM's posted along the Parkway West at least Inbound.

[PAHighways]

As of this morning, none of signs have been replaced at those exits yet indicating those exit numbers (Outbound they've made it up to the Forest Hills exit, and I don't think they've done any sign work inbound until after the Blvd. of the Allies), so the only people who would identify those exits (by number) are probably the sort of people who would read a forum like this.

That said, I'm sure most people will be able to figure it out anyway.

One press release writer doesn't know what the others are doing either, since 11 will announce traffic changes in the Parkway East rehabilitation project zone with old exit numbers one day and the eventual exit numbers the next.

[rickmastfan67]

As of this morning, none of signs have been replaced at those exits yet indicating those exit numbers (Outbound they've made it up to the Forest Hills exit, and I don't think they've done any sign work inbound until after the Blvd. of the Allies), so the only people who would identify those exits (by number) are probably the sort of people who would read a forum like this.

That said, I'm sure most people will be able to figure it out anyway.

One press release writer doesn't know what the others are doing either, since 11 will announce traffic changes in the Parkway East rehabilitation project zone with old exit numbers one day and the eventual exit numbers the next.

Well, WPXI-11 last night and today when talking about the section of the Parkway East that was closed completely for construction was using the new exit numbers. lol.

[PAHighways]

Well, WPXI-11 last night and today when talking about the section of the Parkway East that was closed completely for construction was using the new exit numbers. lol.

That's because the latest press release from District 11 had the new exit numbers.

[rickmastfan67]

Well, WPXI-11 last night and today when talking about the section of the Parkway East that was closed completely for construction was using the new exit numbers. lol.

That's because the latest press release from District 11 had the new exit numbers.

I know. lol.

[rickmastfan67]

Seems they are changing signs again on the Parkway West tonight......  Wish they would just get the exit number changes done on the Parkway East before they change any more signs on the segments that have already gotten their new numbers.....

http://kdka.com/webcams/26.567214.html?wmid=57

[CanesFan27]

James, you know the exit number changes would have been a great thing to track on your blog.

[rickmastfan67]

Well, the down side is that I can't get onto the Parkway East that often to keep track.  All I have to go by is the webcams on KDKA's site.

[Mr_Northside]

http://www.postgazette.com/pg/09310/1011377-455.stm

Well... I guess it's official now for the whole route.  (Though they haven't finished redoing the sign work for the current I-376 yet)... though just having some shields out that way probably won't be too difficult or time consuming.

[treichard]

Yup, I just tried it and got the same result.  I think it is possible to get design information for 76609 elsewhere in ECMS, but only if you have an account with the appropriate access permissions (rather than the generic guest account we are all using).

ECMS does have a link to PennDOT's letting schedule:

ftp://ftp.dot.state.pa.us/public/Bureaus/Cpdm/MPMSDATA/letschdl.pdf

There is also a District 1 redesignation project, 86430, which is meant to cover the bit of Pa. 60/future I-376 in Shenango Township (essentially, in Mercer County between I-80 and the Lawrence County line).  Projected letting date is given as July 9, 2009.  In principle advertising should be imminent, but I get "No records" when I try that number (which strictly speaking is a MPMS number--the ECMS number is not necessarily the same).  There is no listing for 76609, either under that ECMS number or {PA060}.

These two sets of plans are available in the PennDOT ECMS now. 

76609 shows all the signing plans in the area of the New Castle bypass (I-376/US422). 

86430 shows the signing plans for I-80 to PA 18 as "Other4".

PA 60 north of I-80 becomes PA 760 (signed north-south), a number that I don't think has been used before in PA.

I-80 signs at the I-376 & PA 760 interchange:

[PAHighways]

http://www.postgazette.com/pg/09310/1011377-455.stm

Well... I guess it's official now for the whole route.  (Though they haven't finished redoing the sign work for the current I-376 yet)... though just having some shields out that way probably won't be too difficult or time consuming.

"Many businesses look for interstates and proximity to interstates when they are considering relocation and expansion," said Lawrence County Commissioner Daniel J. Vogler.

I didn't realize there were so many roadgeeks in business.

This is one reason why I entitled my blog entry on this plan "Extending I-376 For All the Wrong Reasons."  As I said to someone on MTR who thought Interstates were the be-all/end-all, it isn't as if the "Interstate Fairy" comes, waves her magic wand, and jobs magically appear.  The reason that Pennsylvania has a poor business climate is not for a lack of Interstates, but for a government "good ol' boy" system that traces its roots to the former industrial base.

Off the soapbox, here is the District 11 press release:  PennDOT Secretary Announces I-376 Officially Extends from Pa Turnpike in Monroeville through Pittsburgh to I-80 in Mercer County

[PAHighways]

PA 60 north of I-80 becomes PA 760 (signed north-south), a number that I don't think has been used before in PA.

No, it was never used in the past.  I figured it would have ended up a x18 since those are clustered around the Sharon area.

[CanesFan27]

Well I guess it's a new route to add to PA State Ends..

[rickmastfan67]

They will be talking about this on the 11 O'Clock news tonight on KDKA-2.  Just a heads up for you other Pittsburgh area people.

[treichard]

An x18 number would be reasonable, but that would mean adhering to the original state route numbering system, something that was abandoned long ago (1950s?).  

Instead we have an x60 number, which has a certain logic to it.  It makes for a rare case of a new state route being both even and N-S.  Of course, it's just mimicking PA 60's unusual parity for a N-S expressway.

Most expressways that were given a new state route number fell into two classes:
- associated with an Interstate highway: last two digits match the last two digits of the Interstates (PA 581 with I-81,  PA 576 with I-76/376),
- not associated with an Interstate highway: lowest available two-digit number, odd if N-S (PA 33, PA 43), even if E-W (PA 12).

(You might think that this explanation would designate the Mon-Fayette Expressway as PA 37 since this number wasn't in use, but WV 37 was in use, so PA/WV 43 was the next lowest available number for both states.)

Yet PA 60 didn't fit either option in the 1950s.  It may have been a remnant of the old numbering system, with x0 routes not being restricted to E-W nor N-S routes.  The parity flip was in place by 1961, when state route numbers identical to the new Interstate numbers were renumbered with opposite parity (e.g., PA 95 --> PA 192, etc.).

[PAHighways]

They will be talking about this on the 11 O'Clock news tonight on KDKA-2.  Just a heads up for you other Pittsburgh area people.

Local Highway To Be Renamed I-376