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PennDOT to reveal updated plans for interchange upgrade along I-70 in Rostraver | TribLIVE.com
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PennDOT to reveal updated plans for interchange upgrade along I-70 in Rostraver

Jeff Himler
6628412_web1_gtr-arnoldcityI70map-100423
Courtesy of PennDOT
Map shows PennDOT’s plan for an upgraded “diamond” interchange at the Arnold City exit on Interstate 70 in Rostraver. A roundabout would connect the eastbound ramps with intersecting roads.

PennDOT officials are finalizing plans for improvement of the Arnold City interchange on Interstate 70 in Rostraver and are ready to share project details with the public.

The plans will be displayed during an open house session from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 10 at the Rostraver Central fire hall, 1100 Fells Church Road, Rostraver.

The project is intended to improve safety and traffic flow, according to PennDOT.

Construction could begin next year and is expected to take two years. A traffic detour will be needed.

Plans call for configuring the interchange in a diamond format that would include the addition of a five-leg roundabout connecting the I-70 eastbound on- and off-ramps with Indian Hill and Finley roads.

The project also would widen an adjacent section of I-70, increasing the width of the median from 4 feet to 10 feet, and the shoulders from 10 feet to 12 feet. Portions of the interchange would be shifted 4 feet to make room for the wider interstate.

The projected cost of the work has yet to be determined.

PennDOT will have representatives on hand to answer questions at the open house.

The Arnold City project is one of the last few I-70 improvements still pending as PennDOT has gradually revamped a string of interchanges along the interstate between New Stanton and the West Virginia line.

Also in Rostraver

Construction is underway a short distance to the west, where PennDOT is reconfiguring the Route 51 interchange in a “diverging diamond” format.

As part of that nearly $121 million project, lanes of traffic on new twin Route 51 bridges over the interstate will switch to the opposite of the road and back again, through intersections with traffic signals. That will allow drivers to turn left to enter the interstate without crossing opposing lanes of traffic.

A one-mile section of Route 51 will be widened. Finley Road will be relocated to form a four-way intersection at Route 981, and a left-turn lane will be added from Route 51 to Ridge Road.

Work on the Route 51 interchange began last year and is expected to continue through 2026.

Jeff Himler is a TribLive reporter covering Greater Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Pleasant Area and Derry Area school districts and their communities. He also reports on transportation issues. A journalist for more than three decades, he enjoys delving into local history. He can be reached at jhimler@triblive.com.

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Categories: Local | Westmoreland
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