$50M Route 119 project that includes roundabout will upgrade intersections in Fayette County

Traffic signals at two intersections on Route 119 are slated to be removed as PennDOT officials hope to improve safety on a section of the highway just south of Westmoreland County.

“It all started with a desire to reduce crashes at these intersections,” said Jeremy M. Hughes, assistant District 12 executive for design.

The work area is between the Mt. Pleasant-Scottdale and Everson exits on Route 119. Officials are focusing on the McClure Road and Kingview Road intersections in Upper Tyrone and Bullskin townships in Fayette County, just over the border from Westmoreland.

Bids could be sought in the spring with construction starting later in the year, though project manager Joshua Zakovitch said impacts for Route 119 motorists likely won’t come until 2026.

The project calls for constructing Connector Road, which will be a new bridge over Route 119 that links Mt. Pleasant Road on the northbound side of the highway and Kendi Road on the southbound side. The Connector Road and bridge will provide a new route for vehicles to make turns and travel between Kendi and Mt. Pleasant roads, and Route 119. Kendi Road will be extended to connect with Kingview Road, and the stretch of highway will see other improvements.

A roundabout will be added at the intersection of Connector and Mt. Pleasant roads.

Zakovitch said that, once the phased construction starts on Route 119, there may be some lane restrictions and other impacts, but motorists will still be able to travel north and south. A daily average of 23,000 motorists use the highway, according to PennDOT traffic maps. Construction is expected to be completed in fall 2027.

Cost estimates exceed $50 million.

Hughes expects to see a reduction in crashes in that area once work is done. There have been five rear-end collisions at the Kingview Road intersection between 2019 and 2023, according to PennDOT data. That is in addition to a handful of other crashes at both intersections.

A woman was killed near the McClure Road intersection in 2020 after hitting a deer, and a motorcyclist died near the Kingview Road intersection in March. Four people were hurt in a fiery three-vehicle collision at the Kingview Road intersection in 2015.

Through Dec. 10, the public can log on to the PennDOT District 12 website to view and comment on the plans.

To view the online plans, visit penndot.pa.gov/District12, then click on “View District 12 Projects” and “Fayette County Projects.” Then select “Route 119 - McClure/Kingview Interchange Project.”