PennDOT officials tout federal contribution to $120.6M I-70 project in Rostraver

About $20 million of a nearly $1 trillion federal infrastructure bill is being put toward the reconstruction of the Interstate 70 and Route 51 interchange in Rostraver, according to PennDOT District 12 Executive Bill Kovach.

The money was a bonus in the $120.6 million project that carries the distinction of being the highest-dollar-value project ever bid in District 12. It allows officials to direct the $20 million in state funding that had been earmarked for the project to other improvements.

“The timing couldn’t be better,” said Melissa Batula, PennDOT acting executive deputy secretary. “Certainly, the construction industry is not immune to the challenges we’ve seen with supply chains and cost escalations. Those dollars are really helping to advance projects quickly.”

Work got underway in 2022 after about five years of preparation for a diverging diamond design to replace the current cloverleaf interchange. About 2 miles of Interstate 70 will be widened, and an approximately 1-mile section of Route 51 also will see improvements, including rerouting Finley Road behind a GetGo gas station and convenience store to create a fourway intersection with Route 981.

Earth moving, building demolition and tree removal are visible along the interstate’s westbound lanes. Assistant construction engineer Domenic Caruso said a vacant home along I-70 has been razed and a former service station on Route 51 will be torn down.

Golden Triangle Construction Co. in Oakdale is the contractor. Construction is expected to last five years.

PennDOT officials gathered Friday in an empty spot that will be replaced by the reconstruction of Finley Road to tout the impact of the federal funding of the project. The project is an example of how the bill is benefiting the region, Kovach said.

The district — which covers Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland counties — will see at least $134 million worth of investments over the next five years from the bill.

The new diverging diamond interchange will improve safety and mobility while reducing the potential for crashes and using less space, he said. Kovach pointed to a similar diverging diamond interchange project on Interstate 70 Washington County.

“We saw a 50% reduction in reportable crashes” after that project was completed, he said.

In addition to accelerating projects, the federal dollars — $4 billion of which are being directed to Pennsylvania over five years — are helping the firms that PennDOT works with on consulting, engineering and construction, Batula said.

“These meaningful projects are going to modernize our infrastructure, create sustainable good paying jobs that are going to transform the transportation system itself, as well as the local economies,” she said.

Grant opportunities will be available in addition to the designated funding for the state.

“There’s no question that the federal investments are going to improve the quality of live in Pennsylvania,” she said.

For now, the project’s impact on traffic will be minor with some occasional single lane closures.

As noted on the project website, the diverging diamond interchange will have lanes of traffic on Route 51 switching — diverging — to the opposite side of the road and back again, through a signalized intersections. That will allow drivers to turn onto Interstate 70 without crossing oncoming traffic.

A pair of bridges will carry Route 51 over the interstate, replacing the existing single span. The two highways are traveled by about 50,000 vehicles daily in that area, according to PennDOT traffic volume maps.

Details about the construction are available at I-70projects.com.