They are actually beginning to construct that portion of 43. So all of you who need to get to and from Monroeville from the Century 3 Mall area and are willing to pay $6 or $7 round trip to do so, you are in luck.
OT: For the 7 folks who commute between TJ area and Monroeville
- Thread starter Sean Miller Fan
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It should have been built 20 years before the other useless sections they built.
The part that they are starting now is NOT the part that will go to Monroeville.
"The Turnpike Commission expects the portion of the extension from Jefferson Hills to Duquesne to take six years to complete. There is no timeline yet for the rest of the project from Duquesne to Monroeville, nor the connection to the Mon-Fayette’s connection to the Southern Beltway."
And there is no timeline for the part of the project from Duquesne to Monroeville because they still have no idea how they are going to make that work.
"The Turnpike Commission expects the portion of the extension from Jefferson Hills to Duquesne to take six years to complete. There is no timeline yet for the rest of the project from Duquesne to Monroeville, nor the connection to the Mon-Fayette’s connection to the Southern Beltway."
And there is no timeline for the part of the project from Duquesne to Monroeville because they still have no idea how they are going to make that work.
Meanwhile, the PA turnpike is the most expensive toll road in the world. I guess they have to use the money for something.
Yeah, and what they use the money for is to turn it over to PennDOT to pay for all sorts of non-Turnpike projects and to pay the debt service on the loans that the Turnpike commission had to take out to make all those payments.
Remember back when one of our former governors pushed through his plan to toll I80, even though that was explicitly illegal? Well when the tolling idea was, surprise, surprise, not allowed by the feds, they never rescinded the part of the law that required the turnpike to turn over all the money from the tolling that never happened to PennDOT. So the Turnpike spent 15 years turning over $450 million per year to PennDOT.
Correct but you have to start somewhere. One day, TJ and Gateway fans can save 20 minutes traveling to play each other. Not sure anyone else will use it. Should have connected it to uhh....Pittsburgh
It cost me like $6 round trip to honestly save 2 minutes each way taking that new road to the airport. Never again.
Well if they did it right it would really cut down on the time that it takes for people from places in the eastern suburbs to get to the airport (or back), especially during high traffic times. But by the time they get this thing finished, well, first of all most of us will be dead. And second of all most of the people who are alive will be driving self-driving cars or hover cars, and it won't make much difference anyway.
They have also spent billions on these kinds of ancillary roads, for many years. I believe that the legislature mandated the Tpke to build roads like this expressway, rather than have PennDOT build them, because they would not need tax money to fund them. Same reason for using the toll money to pay for other projects, as you mentioned.
I think ideally you’d have a way to go from 376 at Monroeville around the city if you were traveling south the avoid Squirrel Hill,, Ft Pitt, etc. I think this is a feeble attempt at that.
With PenDot, make it 60 years.
Hear about the new PenDot truck?
It sleeps six.
I worked with the Turnpike a few years back because the new road might interfere with my facility. The project was not one they wanted to do but would lose the money to Philadelphia if they didn’t do it. If they are beginning construction now that sounds about right for what the project parameters were.
It will take at least 50 years and probably more to buy up enough land and connect 43 to 576. And even during rush hour, you would have to like 60-70 miles from Monroeville south to Jefferson Hills then west to Canonsburg then north to the airport. That route takes you so far south, literally out of Allegheny County to go so far north, I cant imagine it would be any faster than just sitting in traffic on the parkway.
Please no. If you think PennDOT can’t get worse, it can.
He's too busy parking container ships off the coast of Long Beach
Yep. I think the smartest thing to do now is focus on 51 between 43 and the Ft Pitt Bridge. Start widening it, adding lanes, etc… It will take out many businesses but I think it’s the one project that is most needed in the region.
At one point the plan was to build a tunnel under Mt Washington to connect 51 to the Birmingham Bridge (hence why it was built so big). Would have put a big hole in the South Side but would have been brilliant for getting into Oakland from the south.
Why are they focusing on a dead area?? Why would you not spend the money for a 4 lane connector between I-79 and say Rt 28, which is probably the fastest growing area in Western Pa (Southern Butler County)??
Especially when, as it was mentioned, there is not even a feasible plan in place to complete it to Monroeville, even when (if) this portion gets done.
If money was unlimited, and especially with Century 3 being dead, I'd buy up all land on 1 side of 51 and turn it into an expressway with no lights from Jefferson Hills to Pgh. Create exit ramps for Jefferson Hospital, Century 3 area, Baldwin area, etc. This would cost tens of billions but would be better than the TJ to Monroeville road.
Yeah, this solves nothing if you don't do that. I work right off 51. It's a ghost town if I go right (51 south, toward 43) and basically hell if I turn left (51 north, toward Pittsburgh). It needs to be three lanes from 43 - the Liberty Tunnel.
As for Jefferson Hills to Monroeville: Man, I can get there pretty quickly if I take the back way. River Road to McKeesport/Duquesne Bridge.... yada, yada, yada... down through Wilmerding, etc. Can't imagine this being much faster than that.
i used to commute a long time ago from Lebo to Monroeville. Wasnt that bad actually. would go thru tunnels and head east, against traffic.. coming home sucked though, squirrel hill tunnels were always backed up..
i did use to have to go on 43 for about 4 years, from South hills to Smithfield (South of uniontown). i'd see maybe 2 or 3 cars on 43 until i got closer to uniontown. absolutely no one ever used that road except me, it was nice.
tolls sucked though and i couldnt expense it which pissed me off more. miles on the car added up big time though as did filling up the gas tank 3 times a week.
thankfully those days of awful commutes are over.
i did use to have to go on 43 for about 4 years, from South hills to Smithfield (South of uniontown). i'd see maybe 2 or 3 cars on 43 until i got closer to uniontown. absolutely no one ever used that road except me, it was nice.
tolls sucked though and i couldnt expense it which pissed me off more. miles on the car added up big time though as did filling up the gas tank 3 times a week.
thankfully those days of awful commutes are over.
All these toll roads only knock off a couple minutes. Huge waste of money.
My greatest 43 feat was walking home drunk from Cal U one night. Made it all the way to the Joe Montana Bridge before finally being picked up. I'd love to know how many miles we covered. I mean, we walked for a good 4-6 hours... though I guess I should subtract the time I spent taking a nap on the shoulder of the highway, lol.
But yeah - I used to go from West Mifflin to New Salem multiple times per week. I wanna say the tolls were like $2.25 when getting on and then $0.90 at the next pass-through not too far before Brownsville. I couldn't believe what they're up to now. Ironically, I think the last few times I've used 43 have been to travel to Pitt away games.
walking home on 43 drunk sounds like such a bad idea for so many reasons. furthest i walked drunk was from Shadyside street festival to south side flats lol. man that was long, i recall walking over the duquesne football field, down those steps and across 10th street bridge. Dont ask me how / why i got up there..
walked into my favorite watering hole (McArdles Pub) on 16th street and sat down. owner-bartender looked at me and said i looked like Sh**. i asked for a shot of jameson and he left a glass and the bottle. I didnt know what to do so i sat there.
a few minutes later i ask him for a shot and he pointed to the bottle in front of me, said knock yourself out. i poured my own drink, it was awesome. I felt like Doc Hollywood or something.
McArdle’s was awesome. Mickey’s malt liquor on tap. If that was the bartender I remember he was a character, albeit mercurial. Kicked me out a couple of times.
There might be other reasons to extend 43 to some other highway instead of ending in the middle of Jefferson Hills like it is currently set-up, but to provide a better way to get to the airport from Monroeville and points east strikes me as unrealistic. It's too circuitous. If they want to create a better way to get to the airport from the east -- as well as generally improving traffic flow and transportation in our region -- they need to spend the money to make the Fort Pitt Tunnels and Squirrel Hill Tunnels three lanes.
If a politician representing the Pittsburgh area really cared about quality of life for the constituents, there would be only 2 transportation projects they should push: #1 making the parkway tunnels three lanes, and #2 extending light rail to Oakland.
If a politician representing the Pittsburgh area really cared about quality of life for the constituents, there would be only 2 transportation projects they should push: #1 making the parkway tunnels three lanes, and #2 extending light rail to Oakland.
it's truly amazing how much that 3rd lane opens up traffic. i drive out to harrisburg a few times a year and once you get a bit closer out there, it goes to 3 lanes and it makes a world of difference..
The money disappears if they don’t do it there. They wanted to do alternatives but were told no and then the money would have been sent to Philly.
How many people live down there? How many people actually travel downtown?
Do the same thing with 30 between Irwin and the Parkway East and you solve a lot of traffic headaches this road hopes to alleviate. Maybe extend 43 east to 30 (along with that part that will extend west to 79). I guess that section is designated as 576.
