2024 look-ahead: News to watch in the upcoming year

From the presidential election to school construction projects, Western Pennsylvania has plenty on tap in the year ahead.

TribLive com­­­piled a look at notable storylines to keep an eye on in 2024.

Politics

Southwestern Pennsylvania is expected to be at the epicenter of national politics.

As was the case in 2020, presidential candidates will be seeking every vote possible. Political experts anticipate Pennsylvania — specifically Allegheny and Westmoreland counties — could be keys to victory.

“Southwestern Pennsylvania, along with Southeastern Pennsylvania, will be pretty critical areas of the state in determining the election,” said political scientist Terry Madonna. “Biden and Trump are tied in Pennsylvania, and because it is so close I think Pennsylvania will be one of the most visited states in the presidential election.”

Allegheny County, a Democratic stronghold, is likely to see the president and his surrogates look to shore up support in the western part of the state. Meanwhile, Westmoreland County, which has the largest concentration of Republican voters in the region, is likely to be critical for Republicans in securing support for the GOP candidate.

“They are major battlegrounds,” Madonna said.

Up in the air

The future of commercial air travel out of Arnold Palmer Regional Airport could be decided early this year.

A federal judge in Boston will rule whether JetBlue Airways can proceed with its $3.8 billion merger with Spirit Airlines, the lone airline operating out of the Unity facility.

The trial in the antitrust case that the U.S. Department of Justice brought against JetBlue’s merger plans concluded last month.

JetBlue has not said whether it would continue to operate flights to Spirit’s destinations or whether it will reduce the number of airports it serves. Westmoreland officials have not heard from JetBlue leaders in months, said Gabe Monzo, executive director of the Westmoreland County Airport Authority.

Meanwhile, construction projects at Palmer and Pittsburgh International Airport forge ahead. The first phase of the $20 million Palmer project is expected to be completed in 2025, while the $1.6 billion terminal project at Pittsburgh International should be completed in March 2025.

Future of U.S. Steel

Will politics end up halting the potential sale of U.S. Steel to Japan’s Nippon Steel Corp. for $14.9 billion?

Nippon said it will keep the U.S. Steel brand and keep its headquarters in Pittsburgh. And business analysts have said the sale could be a boon for the region.

But labor unions were caught off guard and lamented the news. Many politicians, such as U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, followed suit, and local and state Democrats called for the government to block the sale.

The acquisition still needs approval from U.S. Steel shareholders.

New Allegheny County executive

Lawrenceville’s Sara Innamorato will be sworn in today as the fourth chief executive in Allegheny County history, replacing longtime County Executive Rich Fitzgerald.

Innamorato, a Democrat, collected 51% of the votes cast in November to defeat Ohio Township Republican Joe Rockey in the race for Allegheny County’s highest elected office. She will be the first woman to serve in the role.

Innamorato, a former state representative, ran as a progressive but moved to the center on issues such as policing and the Israel-Hamas war after receiving her party’s nomination.

She replaces Fitzgerald, who served three terms and could not seek reelection. Fitzgerald touted his record working to improve county-owned bridges, parks and trails, air quality and Pittsburgh International Airport, which is undergoing a $1.6 billion upgrade. After leaving office, Fitzgerald will become executive director of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, a 10-county planning organization.

Re:Build

Re:Build Manufacturing is expected to start production at its new facilities in the New Kensington Advanced Manufacturing Park in 2024.

Gov. Josh Shapiro was among state and local leaders who announced the $81 million investment in the park, previously home to Alcoa, in May at Acrisure Stadium.

Work to renovate 175,000 square feet of space over four buildings has been underway since April. Production of the first product, composite softball bats, is expected to start in March. Satellite components also are expected to be made there.

Re:Build expects to have 100 people working there by the end of 2024, with 300 jobs created over three years.

School construction

Two stalled large-scale school building renovation projects in Westmoreland County are set to explore preliminary next steps in 2024.

At Hempfield Area School District, high school renovation bids that came back millions of dollars over budget led the board to hire McKinley Architecture and Engineering as the district’s owner’s representative. The district had planned to start construction in fall 2023.

Interim superintendent Kimberlie Rieffannacht said administrators and board members “will continue the public discussion regarding the building project in early 2024 as the team begins to make decisions related to the path forward. The owner’s rep (will) be a part of the discussion as needed.”

Greater Latrobe School Board voted in mid-December to halt its own multimillion-dollar revitalization plan, which was set to raise taxes significantly through 2039. The move was led by new board members who won successful write-in campaigns to be elected. Now that the plan is halted, it must go back to the drawing board.

Superintendent Michael Porembka said board members plan to tour the school’s buildings and gather more information as they head into the new year.

In Allegheny County, with nearly $70 million worth of potential building renovations and additions before it, the Plum School Board will wrestle with what the district can afford to do. Its borrowing ability is about half that amount.

The district is reviewing renovations and additions at O’Block and Pivik elementary schools and the district’s middle school. Some of the work is aimed at giving the district enough room to bring back full-day kindergarten while addressing other facility needs.

As recently presented, the work adds up to $68.5 million, but the district’s borrowing ability is between $30 million and $35 million. The board is expected to start the new year with a presentation from its financial advisors in January.

Coach T and Sully

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and Penguins coach Mike Sullivan are two of the longest-tenured coaches in their respective sports.

Tomlin (17th season) is the second-longest tenured coach in the NFL, behind New England’s Bill Belichick. Sullivan (ninth season) is the second-longest tenured coach in the NHL, behind Tampa’s Jon Cooper.

But will Tomlin and Sullivan both be back next season?

Their teams have underachieved for years now. A Steelers fan base accustomed to winning championships hasn’t even seen a single playoff win since the 2016 season. The last time the Penguins won a playoff series came in 2018.

Both coaches have been rumored to be on the hot seat. Will the ownership groups make a change in 2024?

Music to our ears

OK, Taylor Swift isn’t coming to town this year, but Western Pennsylvania still will see plenty of A-list music acts.

Madonna kicks things off next month at PPG Paints Arena, and Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band hits the arena for two dates in August. In between are many must-see concerts.

Kenny Chesney returns to Acrisure Stadium on June 1 with his Sun Goes Down tour. Two stadium shows are scheduled at PNC Park: Def Leppard, Journey and Steve Miller Band on July 27 and Green Day’s Sept. 1 appearance alongside the Smashing Pumpkins, Rancid and more.

Transportation

Motorists in Westmoreland County will see work underway next year to replace the Salina Bridge over the Kiskiminetas River while construction continues on Interstate 70 in Rostraver and Route 981 in Mt. Pleasant Township.

The bridge construction is set to begin in the spring, continuing through 2026. The existing 1906 span will be demolished, with pieces of the structure to be donated to the Bell Township Historical Society.

Bridge work also is ongoing as part of PennDOT’s reconstruction of the Route 51 interchange on I-70. Crews will continue steel repairs and painting on the Matthew Smelser Memorial Bridge that carries the interstate across the Youghiogheny River. Work is slated to continue at the interchange through 2027.

Crews are expected by next fall to finish work on the southernmost section of the three-part Laurel Valley Transportation Improvement Project, which involves improvements and realignments along the Route 981 corridor between Mt. Pleasant and Route 30. Remaining work includes completion of a roundabout at the village of Norvelt.

In Allegheny County, the Parkway East will be under construction between the Monroeville and Churchill interchanges. The work, which will extend through 2026, includes paving, replacement of the median barrier and a superstructure and preservation of 11 bridges.

Concrete pavement preservation and bridge improvements are scheduled to begin in April and continue through 2025 on Interstate 79 between Moon Run and Interstate 376.

Route 28

It’ll be mostly smooth sailing for Route 28 travelers in 2024.

The construction that restricted traffic to one lane at various stretches and closed some ramps wrapped up in December. While minor work is still scheduled on some of the bigger projects, no new projects are slated for this year.

Two lanes are finally open in both directions by the Highland Park Bridge interchange, but work there isn’t completely finished. Projects scheduled early this year include sign installation, barrier sealing, sound wall work and minor bridge repairs. Those final touches are expected to cause lane restrictions during off-peak hours.

Another headache spot — the 4.5-mile stretch between Highland Park to RIDC Park and to the Harmar line — wrapped in 2023. But minor projects there will require short-term lane and shoulder restrictions.

Additional work between Harmar and East Deer will require short-term lane and shoulder restrictions.

Riverfront development

The Allegheny River shoreline became a precious commodity in 2023, with leaders in Cheswick and Tarentum stepping into the swirling waters of opportunity.

Boat docks are all but gone from the Tarentum riverfront after the borough terminated leases in Riverview Memorial Park, but they could return in the coming years, along with a fishing pier, bike trail, canoe rentals and places to eat.

The borough is teaming with Cheswick to devise a riverfront development plan to focus on public access to the shoreline and help promote economic gains in both towns.

Tarentum officials say now is the time to reenvision the shoreline as plans solidify to bring the Three Rivers Heritage Trail into the area. The $8.7 million path will wind about 1.3 miles through Tarentum and Riverview Memorial Park and into East Deer, providing sweeping views of the river.

In Cheswick, a 1-mile trail will stretch from Rachel Carson Park to the Harmar border, with parts along the riverfront and through the borough.