Jun 24, 2002 3 min read

The concept of a highway that links Fayette County and the Mon Valley to the economic and cultural center of southwestern Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh has been around for many decades. But its rebirth dates to a decade ago. At that time a small section near California had been completed and there was a movement to build a couple of miles south of Uniontown to Chadville, but essentially the Mon-Fayette Expressway had stalled.

It was never an issue of whether the people wanted the highway but whether the dozen or so regulatory agencies would ever approve it. A meeting was held between transportation and environmental officials, along with key lawmakers, at the Meadowlands.

It’s important to recall now the consensus that grew out of that meeting, reflect on the progress that has since been made and to reaffirm the commitment to finishing this project in its entirety.

The gathering split the project into four legs: Uniontown to West Virginia and Interstate 70 to Route 51 (both of which are complete) Route 51 to Pittsburgh (by far the most complicated section) and Uniontown to Brownsville (which was initially scrapped by the Meadowlands crew).

To jumpstart the Mon-Fayette, the group reasoned that each segment could stand alone in solving transportation projects and boosting the economy. But there has never been any doubt that the entire highway from West Virginia’s Interstate 68 to downtown Pittsburgh is of prime importance.

That is why so many people, including this newspaper, acted with such passion upon learning Uniontown to Brownsville was shelved. Intense public reaction and demands to be heard brought the governor in for a town meeting and his stern direction to transportation officials to build this road.

Since then progress has been made. Turnpike consultants are finishing the designs and plans call for property acquisition to start next year with construction to follow. Perhaps it hasn’t moved as fast as we would have preferred but it has stayed on track.

Now our neighbors in Allegheny County need our help. The turnpike recently began circulating the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Route 51 to Pittsburgh section and will be holding a series of meetings to gather public input before asking the Federal Highway Administration to grant approval to build the road. There is a handful of people in Pittsburgh squawking that they don’t want the highway. Don’t let their parochial interest destroy a regional project.

Send a letter (You can mail it to us and we will forward it to the turnpike.) or attend one of the hearings to lend support to the majority who want to complete this vital project.

Don’t allow it to fall apart at the halfway mark.

We have 10 years invested in the renewal of the Mon-Fayette. If the projected timetable stands, 10 years from now you could be driving the entire length of the highway.