VIDEO: PennDOT to Make $50M Upgrade to U.S. 119, Plans to Replace Old Bridge in Fayette County
PennDOT plans $50M upgrade to U.S. 119 in Fayette County, removing signals at two intersections, replacing old bridge near Perryopolis by 2028. New bridge delayed for studies on endangered bats' habitats. Safety improvements prioritized for motorists. Rep. Warner criticizes bureaucratic delays.
Tue December 03, 2024 - Northeast Edition TribLIVE.com & PennDOT
Traffic signals at two intersections on U.S. Highway 119 in southwest Pennsylvania are slated to be removed as state transportation officials hope to improve safety on a section of the highway just south of Westmoreland County.
"It all started with a desire to reduce crashes at these intersections," said Jeremy M. Hughes, the District 12 assistant executive for design at the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT).
TribLIVE.com, an online news source in the western part of the state, noted Nov. 29 that the work area is between the Mt. Pleasant-Scottdale and Everson exits on U.S. 119. PennDOT is focusing on the McClure Road and Kingview Road intersections in Fayette County's Upper Tyrone and Bullskin townships, just over the border from Westmoreland.
Bids could be sought next spring with construction starting later in 2025, though PennDOT Project Manager Joshua Zakovitch said impacts for U.S. 119 motorists likely will not occur until 2026.
The $50 million Route 119-McClure/Kingview Interchange Project is advertised as a safety and roadway effort that will include resurfacing and reconstruction of the main highway, in addition to six other nearby roadways: Kingview, Crossroads, Mount Pleasant, McClure, Wedding and Kendi.
According to PennDOT, crews also will work to:
Extend Kendi Road to connect with Kingview Road and make other improvements to that stretch of the corridor.
Construct new turn lanes, a roundabout, and a new bridge and roadway (Connector Road), the latter of which will link Mt. Pleasant Road on the northbound side of the highway and Kendi Road on the southbound side.
Remove two signals on U.S. 119 and build acceleration/deceleration lanes on the four-lane highway.
Zakovitch told TribLIVE.com that once the phased construction starts on U.S. 119, there may be some lane restrictions and other impacts, but motorists will still be able to freely travel north and south. The daily average of motorists using the highway is approximately 23,000, according to PennDOT traffic maps.
Construction of the road project is expected to be complete during the autumn of 2027.
Hughes said that he expects to see a reduction in crashes along U.S. 119 in that area of Fayette County once the work is done. There were five rear-end collisions at the Kingview Road intersection between 2019 and 2023, according to PennDOT, in addition to a handful of other crashes there and at the McClure Road interchange.
Included among those accidents was one where a woman was killed near U.S. 119 and McClure Road in 2020 after hitting a deer. Just last March, a motorcyclist died near the Kingview Road intersection, and, in 2015, four people were hurt in a fiery three-vehicle collision at the same crossing.
PennDOT Gearing Up for Layton Bridge Replacement
After being closed for most of the summer for repairs, the Layton Bridge near the Fayette County town of Perryopolis is once again open for travel.
It is unlikely to be the last time the 125-year-old structure undergoes repairs as it will remain a placeholder until a new bridge is constructed and hopefully opened by 2028, the Uniontown Herald-Standard reported earlier this fall.
The Layton Bridge, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, utilizes a Pratt truss design, and stretches 911 ft. across the Youghiogheny River just to the east of Perryopolis.
The effort to maintain the current superstructure began in June and will continue until the new, separate bridge is completed. It is part of a preservation project provided for the adjoining Layton Tunnel, a 208-ft.-long former rail passageway that lies on the west bank of the river.
Both the bridge and tunnel were converted to single-lane automobile use in 1933 and are still used for that purpose today.
The preservation project consists of repairing masonry elements at both portals of the tunnel, installing additional riser beams on the bridge floor system, mitigating deficiencies to the bridge timber sidewalk, and repairing or replacing bridge joints.
PennDOT noted that specific concrete and structural steel repairs to the bridge's superstructure, substructure, curb and barriers are scheduled to be finished by the end of the year. The extent of potential as-needed repairs is subject to future inspections and analyses.
The contractor completed bridge work on Spans 2 and 3 on Sept. 16, and the roadway was reopened the next day. Additionally, crews placed a barrier that created a one-lane road across the entire length of the span. Work then shifted to Span 1 and to the substructure on Spans 4 through 17.
PennDOT's proposed replacement of the Layton Bridge, means to incorporate:
Replacement of the single-span, single-lane bridge carrying Layton Road over Washington Run.
Improvements to the associated roadway connecting the two structures, as both the tunnel and bridge were originally designed and utilized by a railroad.
William Beaumariage, assistant district executive of construction in PennDOT's District 12 office, said the bridge will undergo evaluations every six months through the end of 2027 to determine if safety-related repairs need done.
"Typically, it's two years or more, but this bridge is on a [six month] frequency because of the condition of it," he explained. "Now, every six months we go out and we inspect it, and if we find anything that needs to be addressed, we do it immediately in an attempt to try to keep it open for the public."
Construction on a new bridge was delayed so that studies about nearby habitats of endangered bats could be done, the transportation department noted.
PennDOT project manager Troy Pritts said after a series of reports were submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the state Game Commission, those agencies provided a number of conditions for construction to proceed.
"We agreed to a timbering restriction during the winter when the bats are in their caves," he told the Uniontown news source. "Similarly, to not disturb the bats that are hibernating over winter, we will do our blasting in the summer."
Pritts noted that PennDOT also has agreed to create bat boxes and rock piles for the animals during the building of the new bridge.
As for when that construction will begin, he said a "conservative estimate" would be by the end of next year, and the new bridge would be open to the public by 2028.
"Hopefully we'll have the environmental clearances by the end of [2024], and we'll be able to move to the next phases, which [include] final design, right-of-way acquisitions, and getting our permits submitted to the DEP," explained Pritts.
Pennsylvania State Rep. Ryan Warner, R-52nd District, who has been critical of what he calls "ridiculous bureaucratic red tape," said that while he respects the historical and environmental protections, the delay in construction of the new bridge comes with a risk.
Every time the Layton Bridge is shut down, he said, emergency responders must take a longer route to get to their destination.
He referenced a fire that took place over the summer in Perryopolis near the bridge when he added, "Thankfully no one's lives were at risk but you're looking at a major delay to get fire and medical services there."
However, Beaumariage said PennDOT has made safety a priority at the bridge site.
"We are dedicated to the local citizens and keeping this existing bridge open, getting the new bridge built, improving the area, and bringing funds into the area," he told the Herald-Standard. "I just hope the locals know that we are doing everything we can to get this project to the finish line. And that's heartfelt."
