Shapiro Administration Previews 2023 Southwest Region Construction Season

Yestderday, PennDOT District 12 officials also highlighted projects anticipated to be in construction status this year in Fayette, Greene, Washington, and Westmoreland counties and, joined by a representative of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC), discussed funding for regional roads and bridges from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). 

Fixing and maintaining Pennsylvania's roads, highways, and bridges is a top priority of the Shapiro administration. Today's announcement builds on Governor Shapiro's commitment to ensuring Pennsylvanians can travel across the Commonwealth safely. 

"As the 2023 construction season starts, we are excited about the continued investments to our infrastructure in the Southwest region. Funding from the BIL has helped PennDOT District 12 increase its' construction project bid capacity to the highest level since 2016," said District 12 Executive Bill Kovach.

"The BIL continues to provide a much-needed increase in federal funding, critical to the southwestern Pennsylvania region in advancing many high priority multimodal projects, and opportunities to bring additional discretionary funding into the region," said SPC Deputy Executive Director of Programs Andy Waple. 

In 2023, PennDOT District 12 will have 105 projects in a construction status with an approximate value of $585 million. Overall highlights in the 2023 construction season for the southwest region – including projects supported and accelerated by the BIL – include:

• approximately 148 miles of paving;
• approximately 750 miles of roadway sealcoating and crack sealing;
• approximately 34 bridges will be preserved, 27 bridges rehabilitated or replaced; and
• approximately 20 slides will be repaired by department forces with an additional 13 slide locations in a construction status.
  

Notable ongoing projects this year include:

• Widening and reconstructing Interstate 70 and the Route 51 Interchange (Exit 46) to eliminate the substandard cloverleaf interchange and replace it with a Diverging Diamond Interchange, Rostraver Township, Westmoreland County, $120 million;
• Replacing a three-way, stop-controlled intersection with a single-lane roundabout at the intersection of Route 1010 (Valley Brook Road) and Route 1019 (Bebout Road) in Peters Township, Washington County, $2.3 million; and

• As part of the Laurel Valley Transportation Improvement Project, upgrading the Route 981 corridor from Route 819 to Norvelt, Westmoreland County, $55.2 million.
  

Notable projects that are expected to begin this year include:

• Resurfacing and upgrading the Route 19 and Route 21 corridors through the Borough of Waynesburg, Greene County, $11.8 million;
• Replacing the existing, six-span steel superstructure of the Route 711 Crawford Avenue Bridge with a new, wider superstructure consisting of continuous composite steel plate girders, City of Connellsville, Fayette County, $10 million – $15 million;
• Resurfacing 8.2 miles of Route 136 through Sewickley Township, Hempfield Township, Madison Borough, and Arona Borough, Westmoreland County, $7 million – $9 million; and
• Resurfacing 9.1 miles of Route 18 from Route 844 to Route 50 through Canton Township, Chartiers Township, Mount Pleasant Township, and the City of Washington, Washington County, $8.1 million.
  

As construction projects are underway in the region, the traveling public can anticipate seeing many work zones and are urged to keep in mind their safety and the safety of highway workers. When encountering a work zone, please drive the posted speed limit, turn on your headlights, pay close attention to signs and flaggers and avoid all distractions. In high traffic locations, motorists are encouraged to use both lanes of travel to the merge point and to take turns merging into the open lane. 

Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Fayette, Greene, Washington, and Westmoreland counties at PennDOT District 12. 

Information about infrastructure in District 12, including completed work and significant projects, is available at District 12 Results. Find PennDOT's planned and active construction projects at PennDOT Projects.