Great news!
Monday was a great day for residents of this area as the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) voted 48-4 to extend the Mon-Fayette Expressway 14 miles from Jefferson to Monroeville.
At Monroeville, the expressway will link up with the Parkway East, fulfilling the long-awaited dream of a modern four-lane highway from our area to Pittsburgh. The goal of the expressway when it was first conceived in the 1960s was as a direct connection to Pittsburgh. However, the last leg into Pittsburgh was eliminated in the 1990s due to political and financial concerns.
But thanks to an infusion of state funding, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission revived plans for the connection with a link to the Parkway East at Monroeville, which is about 15 miles from Pittsburgh.
So, instead of facing a frustrating and painstaking journey full of red lights and traffic jams on Route 51 from Jefferson to Pittsburgh, motorists will be able to travel on a new, up-to-date highway from Jefferson to Pittsburgh.
Not only will the expressway extension make it much easier for motorists to get around, it will cut down on costly travel delays for businesses in the area and open it up for economic development.
Fayette County Commission Chairman Vince Vicites, who is also a member of the SPC, called the decision “A victory for the people of Fayette County and the people of Southwestern Pennsylvania.”
State Sen. Pat Stefano, R-Bullskin Township, noted that the expressway extension project “Would kick-start economic development like nothing else could.”
Both Vicites and Stefano played crucial roles in the overwhelming support given to the expressway extension.
Such backing was lacking earlier this year when members of the SPC voted to table the project. There had been a move afoot by some Allegheny County officials to try and use the funding for the extension on other projects.
However, Stefano pointed out that the legislation which provided the funding for the extension stipulated that the money could only be used for turnpike projects. Some lawmakers wanted the language changed, but Stefano along with state Sen. James Brewster, D-McKeesport, played a key role in convincing their fellow legislators to keep the wording intact.
Once Allegheny County officials realized the money couldn’t be used for their own projects, they decided to back the extension.
Meanwhile, Vicites played a key role by seeking support for the extension from the county commissioners and other at-large members of the SPC, which includes Fayette, Washington, Westmoreland, Greene, Allegheny, Beaver, Lawrence, Butler, Armstrong and Indiana counties.
The overwhelming votes in support of the extension are a testament to the hard work and intense lobbying undertaken by Vicites. Also to be commended was Vicites’ fellow commissioner, David Lohr. His steady and unwavering support for the extension was crucial.
Without a doubt, the extension will be a game-changer. But it won’t happen overnight. It’s estimated that it could take 10 years, possibly even longer, to build the extension. In the meantime, local officials and lawmakers will have to be vigilant in making sure that work on the extension remains on schedule.
In the end, building highways is a long and expensive process. But it’s the most direct connection to economic development for any region. And at long last, our area is on that road.