New England Road opens as Expressway progress continues
New England Road is open again following months of closure as several new updates are in progress this week for the Mon/Fayette Expressway.
The expressway currently stretches 54 miles from I-68 near Morgantown, W.Va., to PA Route 51 in Jefferson Hills. Once all seven sections are complete, the Expressway will extend 68 miles to Interstate 376 in Monroeville.
Construction is currently underway on the third section of the southern portion, which runs from Route 51 in Jefferson Hills to Route 837 in Duquesne.
Updates for each of the sections now include aerial footage of the construction.
Section 53A1
Work on Section 53A1, which begins where the current expressway ends at Route 51 in Jefferson Hills and stretches approximately three miles north of Coal Valley Road, has been progressing since March of 2023. It is projected to end this fall.
The nearly $214 million contract requires Trumbull Corp. to excavate more than four million cubic yards of earth and build six bridges. The remaining construction sections will go through the bidding process and begin construction as bids are awarded.
The standard work shift is 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays, with Friday/ Saturday shifts used when needed.
On Route 51, drivers are encouraged to follow traffic signs, arrows, merging areas, stop and yield signs because there is a lane closure on northbound and southbound during non-peak hours for sign installations.
Work on the toll facility building’s interior is finishing up as electrical and communication projects are being done for the toll plaza.
Coal Valley Road is open again, construction engineers stated in the Turnpike Commission’s Monday update.
It was closed for about two months for road and slope reconstruction and another three to four weeks for continued slope restoration work.
The road will not close again, according to Pennsylvania Turnpike consultant Craig White.
Southbound drivers on Route 43 will be using the southbound ramp. Northbound drivers will cross over to the southbound side to Jefferson Boulevard, and the Turnpike stated that drivers should monitor speed and stay in their lane through the construction area.
Section 53A2
New England Road was closed until July 20. Lower Camp Hollow is open, but it is scheduled to close again in August for approximately 30 days for reconstruction.
Construction at the intersection of Lebanon Church Road and Camp Hollow Road has continued, and utility relocation is underway now. One lane is open in that area.
On Upper Camp Hollow Road, northbound and southbound traffic are in the new roadway alignment and the roadway is completed. Access to Lebanon School Road is open, and access to Lebanon Manor is via Beverly Drive.
Section 53A2 of the southern section begins just north of Coal Valley Road and runs about two miles north of Camp Hollow Road (State Route 2043) near Curry Hollow Road in West Mifflin.
The Turnpike Commission awarded Trumbull Corporation the $165.6 million contract in October of 2023, and construction is scheduled to finish in the summer of 2027. The contract requires Trumbull Corporation to excavate approximately 3.7 million cubic yards of earth and build five bridges. A full interchange at Camp Hollow Road will also be constructed under the terms of this contract, along with two roundabouts on Camp Hollow Road.
Section 53B1A
On Jan. 13, the Turnpike Commission awarded Trumbull Corp. a $163.5 million contract to build the third section (53B1A), and preliminary work is underway for when full construction begins.
The section will extend approximately 1.5 miles beginning just north of the Camp Hollow Road (State Route 2043) roundabouts in West Mifflin and run north where it will tie in with a new interchange at Pittsburgh McKeesport Boulevard (State Route 2045) near the Richland Cemetery in Dravosburg.
“This project is basically picking up where the prior section left off,” senior project manager Eric Buchan said in February. “Essentially this project carries PA 43 toward Kennywood to Pittsburgh McKeesport Boulevard. This project completes all the work in between. Bridges, roadway, earth moving to complete that connection.”
The contract requires Trumbull Corp. to excavate approximately 1.5 million cubic yards of earth, construct two noise walls and build four bridges. The projected end date is approximately October 2029, according to Trumbull project manager Pat Daley.
Construction traffic will enter and exit Camp Hollow near the new roundabouts. Construction traffic will also enter and exit at the entrance of Pitt McKeesport Boulevard.
Some deliveries and construction traffic will be done through Curry Hollow Road near the WMSSA Pump Station. Construction traffic will enter and exit construction site at existing entrance on Pitt McKeesport Boulevard.
Traffic shifting will be occurring in preparation for long term construction stages. As for roadway and bridge work, sediment basin construction is ongoing, and shoring and excavation is happening for Curry Hollow Road and Pittsburgh-McKeesport Boulevard.
More updates on the construction can be found on the PA Turnpike Commission’s website every week at www. paturnpike.com.
