The Mon/Fayette Expressway system is a 25-year regional transportation improvement project aimed at providing continuous travel from I-68 in West Virginia north to I-376 in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. The final leg of the project, PA Route 51 to I-376, is a 14-mile extension of the 74-mile system that affords direct access to the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. Near the southern terminus at PA Route 51 sits a 300-acre property owned by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) that is needed for the development of this four-lane highway. With a history of previous disturbance on the property, PTC wanted to document any hazardous waste concerns that could delay or prohibit the project’s progress.

RETTEW assessed the 300-acre property, which includes high-relief terrain and a former surface mining operation. We conducted interviews, reviewed available records, established site use, and conducted visual reconnaissance of the site. Our Phase I environmental site assessment confirmed there are no serious concerns, which meant PTC could continue with right-of-way tasks as planned. The PA Route 51 to I-376 project not only improves the local transportation network with direct access to the area, reduced travel times, and a safer highway, but it also promotes redevelopment and revitalization in the region.