May 8, 2007 3 min read

Shortly after being elected in 1986, former Democratic Gov. Robert P. Casey Sr. made an appearance at California University of Pennsylvania and proclaimed of the long-dormant Mon-Fayette Expressway, “This road will be built.”

While significant progress has been made – including completion of the highway from Uniontown to the West Virginia line – more than 20 years have now passed since Casey’s pronouncement. That’s two decades of missing out on economic development opportunities because Fayette County and the Mon Valley lack easy access to the nation’s interstate highway system.

And while recent earthmoving on the Uniontown-to-Brownsville section of the expressway has stoked hope for the road to finally fulfill its long-awaited promise, a $455 million funding shortfall for Phase II construction last week led Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission engineer David Zazworsky to say the project would have to be “shelved.”

State Sen. Richard A. Kasunic, D-Dunbar, a normally mild-mannered, thoughtful sort, justifiably lost his cool upon hearing that comment. “I told them we won’t accept any stoppage or slowdown. To say that I was upset is putting it mildly,” says Kasunic.

Contrary to what some believe, there is a time and a place for public officials to explode. It is not an embarrassment to any elected official, or the public he or she represents, to stand up and be counted on issues of key importance. We commend Kasunic for venting his ire during last week’s meeting in Washington County, which included turnpike and local elected officials.

We appreciate, as should you, the $390 million that the turnpike commission has expended for Phase I of Uniontown to Brownsville, which includes construction costs for some section of the road, as well as design and acquisition costs for Phase II construction. We are not ingrates in that regard.

But without a commitment to complete Phase II, the turnpike is basically leaving us with another road to nowhere, similar to the infamous four-lane stub built outside Brownsville many decades ago. And we don’t need to be reminded that even before Gov. Casey left office, an attempt was made to shelve Uniontown to Brownsville. To his credit, the late governor reversed that decision amid a huge public outcry supported by this newspaper.

Now the turnpike is saying Uniontown to Brownsville should be completed by 2009. But there’s a big difference between should and will, and we’d be much more comfortable if top honchos were using the latter. Our question to them is, “How much longer should we have to wait?”

If money’s an issue, Kasunic has the proper answer, saying that money slated for planning and design work on other sections could be consolidated on Uniontown to Brownsville, allowing completion of that leg with no funding problems. His solution makes even more sense when one considers that state legislators from those other areas haven’t supported the expressway – or the gas tax hike that’s made to-date planning and construction possible.

Kasunic plans to meet this week with turnpike officials and legislators, to press his fight for our section of the highway. His effort now is no less important than the one that saved the stretch during the Casey years. Everyone should rally around Kasunic with unfettered determination.