JEFFERSON HILLS, PA — The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission will open nearly five miles of the Mon/Fayette Expressway on November 20, extending the toll highway into West Mifflin as part of a larger transportation project expected to generate nearly $2.8 billion in economic activity across southwestern Pennsylvania’s Mon Valley.
State and local officials marked the approaching completion of the two highway sections Tuesday, October 27, in Jefferson Hills, where construction crews are finishing work on an expansion intended to improve regional transportation, commercial access and emergency response.
The new sections, designated 53A1 and 53A2, will extend Pennsylvania Turnpike 43 north from its existing terminus at the Route 51 interchange to Camp Hollow Road in West Mifflin Borough.
The expansion adds nearly five miles to the existing 54-mile expressway, which currently serves communities between the Pittsburgh region and the West Virginia border.
Construction began in 2023 and involved excavating more than 7 million cubic yards of earth and building 11 bridges. The project also includes interchanges at Jefferson Boulevard and Camp Hollow Road, roundabouts connecting to Camp Hollow Road and a new cashless tolling point.
An emergency access gate from State Route 885 is expected to improve ambulance and emergency vehicle access to AHN Jefferson Hospital. According to the Turnpike Commission, the connection will allow emergency crews to reach the hospital at least six minutes faster than using the next interchange.
Pennsylvania Transportation Secretary and Turnpike Commission Chairman Mike Carroll characterized the expansion as an investment in the Mon Valley’s economic competitiveness.
“We’re also investing in the region’s ability to compete for businesses, jobs and the kinds of growth that are critical to Pennsylvania’s future,” Carroll said.
The opening represents the first two completed sections of the southern portion of the Route 51-to-Interstate 376 project, a multistage effort to connect the existing expressway with Interstate 376 in Monroeville.
Once the southern and northern portions are completed, the Mon/Fayette Expressway will provide a 68-mile connection between Interstate 68 near Morgantown, West Virginia, and Interstate 376 in Monroeville.
The commission projects that the broader Route 51-to-I-376 corridor will generate nearly $2.8 billion in economic activity across the Mon Valley.
The highway has been under development for decades. Pennsylvania lawmakers directed the Turnpike Commission to construct the Mon/Fayette Expressway in 1985, and work began in 1988. The existing 54-mile route was completed in 2012.
Unlike most of the Pennsylvania Turnpike system, which operates without state tax funding, the Mon/Fayette project receives support from state transportation revenues, including funding authorized under Act 89 of 2013 and the Oil Company Franchise Tax.
Toll revenue is used to maintain the roadway.
State Sen. Nick Pisciottano said the opening advances a long-standing infrastructure commitment but does not complete the regional project.
“Our work isn’t finished,” Pisciottano said. “We’ll continue fighting for the resources needed to complete this expressway and deliver the connections and economic opportunities our communities deserve.”
Construction is already underway on the next section, designated 53B1A, extending from Camp Hollow Road to McKeesport Boulevard.
The Turnpike Commission has also allocated funding to replace the State Route 837 bridge over the Union Railroad in Duquesne. That project, designated Section 53C3, is intended to accommodate traffic associated with the future expressway.
Trumbull Corporation, which maintains a field office in Jefferson Hills, is the contractor for the first three sections of the expansion.
The newly completed roadway incorporates 11 stormwater management basins designed to control runoff and filter sediment, road salt and heavy metals before they reach surrounding waterways.
During construction, the basins captured runoff and sediment. They will continue operating as permanent stormwater management facilities after the highway opens.
The November 20 opening will provide an additional northbound connection for drivers while construction continues toward the expressway’s planned Interstate 376 terminus.
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