Oct 11, 2016 3 min read

The assistant construction engineer for the state Department of Transportation overseeing the reconstruction of Interstate 70 at the Murtland Avenue interchange in South Strabane Township said Tuesday work for the season was “racing to the finish.”

Golden Triangle Construction of Imperial, general contractor for the $51.2 million project, will be completing structures for overhead signs and building the median and mountable curbs as part of the diverging diamond on Route 19 and at the ramps to Interstate 70 in anticipation of wrapping up the work for the season in November.

“There will be intermittent lane restrictions from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. nightly in both the eastbound and westbound lanes as the overhead sign structures are done,” said Scott Faieta, assistant PennDOT construction engineer. “There also will be single-lane closures on Route 19 for construction of the median and curbs.”

Westbound traffic, which is currently traveling on the eastbound side of the highway, will be switched back to the newly built lanes on that side of the interstate during the week of Oct. 24, Faieta said. Work will also be done that week on the ramps from I-70 west to I-79 north and from I-70 east to I-79 north.

Eastbound traffic will be moved back to its normal configuration during the week of Oct. 31, Faieta said.

“Although three lanes have been built, we will only be using two of them in anticipation of starting the reconstruction project between Beau Street and the Eighty Four exit next year,” Faieta said. “We’d have to close that third lane when that project starts so it didn’t make sense to open it in November only to close it in the spring.”

All three lanes will be open on the westbound side. Bids will be opened early next month for work on the highway between the Beau and Eighty Four.

Thanks to the good weather this past construction season, the overall project is ahead of schedule, Faieta said.

“The work was to be done by November 2017,” he said. “I expect the project to be complete by the middle of next summer.”

Unfinished projects include resurfacing Route 19 between Oak Spring Road and Trinity Point as well as any concrete curb work that does not get completed this year.

The project included construction of the first diverging diamond in the state. Traffic north and south on Route 19 switch sides under the highway before crossing back over into their respective lanes.

Drivers seem to be adjusting to the unique traffic pattern. South Strabane police Chief Don Zofchak said he has no complaints, other than the lines were difficult to see during a recent heavy rain at night.

“I’ve received very few complaints,” Zofchak said. “And knock on wood, we’ve had no accidents.”

“I think once the traffic islands are done, it will be better,” he added. “I think people look at it as a driver’s test they have to get through.”

State police Sgt. Douglas Kramer said there have been no major issues in the construction zone. On Friday, state police conducted an enforcement effort in the construction area and issued 23 speeding citations. Kramer said there was an enforcement effort on I-70 by the troop in Washington County over the weekend with a total of 50 citations issued by troopers.

Faieta said that PennDOT has paid out $39.8 million to the contractor since the project began in November 2014.