Aug 25, 2006 By Amanda Clegg 2 min read

MONONGAHELA – Before heading to Monongahela Valley Hospital (MVH) for a tour of their newly expanded emergency room Thursday morning, U.S. Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Johnstown) made a pit stop at an intersection of state routes 88 and 837 he called “key” in improving development in the Mon Valley. PennDOT representatives and state officials gathered with the congressman near the New Eagle intersection to discuss plans concerning the project, which is hitching a ride on the Mon-Fayette Expressway project.

An analysis of the expressway project identified the intersection as one in need of improvement, according to information in a press release from the congressman’s office.

“The Mon-Fayette will be an enormous improvement in the region’s transportation’s system and will create strong economic development potential,” Murtha stated. “But to fully capitalize on that potential, we need to make sure that communities along the corridor have good connector roads so traffic can get on and off the expressway to the places where people live, shop and work. This intersection is a key to opening this part of the Mon Valley development.”

State Rep. David K. Levdansky, House finance committee Democratic chairman, said plans call for widening both sides of Route 88 and adding a stacking lane in hopes of reducing the amount of rear-end collisions at the intersection. A study is planned to determine a need for a traffic signal at the intersection as well, he said.

The total cost of the project is estimated at $1.9 million and the Southwestern Pennsylvania’s 2005-2008 Transportation Improvement Plan committed $500,000 of the project funding while Murtha added $1 million for the project to the 2007 transportation appropriations, which the House passed in June, according to the press release.

Joe Szczur, PennDOT district executive, said he believed the project was 80 percent federally funded, but could not confirm “specific details.”

Later in the morning, MVH officials showed off the fruits of such federal funding when they gave Murtha a tour of their expanded emergency room.

The $8-million expansion project included the addition of a children’s play area and a cafeteria in the waiting room as well as a wireless monitoring system which tracks patients and staff.

“GPS in other words,” Murtha noted of the system. “That’s impressive.”

The expansion also included the addition of 13 treatment rooms for a total of 24.

Murtha said seeing the completed project was “gratifying” because he was able to witness federal money at work.