The Southern Beltway’s Cecil-South Fayette connector won’t open to traffic until at least 2019. But local governments are already looking forward to any traffic relief that the new toll road might bring.
In the Route 50 corridor, the hope is that motorists on Boyce Road who currently turn right to access I-79 on Route 50 will instead turn left to get on to the highway at the new connector near the Allegheny National Cemetery. (Click the map below for a wide-view PDF.)
That could help alleviate the daily Washington Pike traffic jam stretching from Bridgeville deep into South Fayette.
“It may be — may be — a positive for us,” borough manager Lori Collins told council earlier this month, referencing talks she had with traffic planners.
It’s understandable that Collins hedged her comment with a few “may bes,” given the incredible pace at which developers have been building houses, offices, and stores south of Bridgeville. Even South Fayette’s school district is pleading with the township not to permit a new housing development.
In any case, construction crews broke ground on the Southern Beltway connector last year.
Eventually, the Beltway will connect with the Mon-Fayette Expressway near Finleyville, and the two roadways will form a half-ring spanning from Pittsburgh International Airport to Monroeville. (You can click the map for a brochure explaining the whole thing.)
There’s no clear timeframe for completion of the entire project.