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Wexford Interchange Project discussed at PennDOT virtual public meeting

Traffic in the North Hills can be a nightmare for drivers, so PennDOT is hoping the Interstate 79/Route 910 Wexford Interchange Project will help to relieve some of the congestion and keep drivers safe.

It’s one of the most heavily traveled interchanges in the area — Interstate 79 and Route 910 — providing a critical link to neighborhoods, hospitals, restaurants and businesses in Marshall Township and Franklin Park. Tuesday night, PennDOT and engineering firm Whitman Requart and Associates, LLP (WPA) held a virtual public meeting to answer questions about a $46 million project designed to reimagine travel in the area to reduce congestion and crashes.

“If there’s a crash, a weather issue, or other incident along Route 910 or I-79 that does cause problems, the interchange can handle that impact a little better and return to operations a little sooner with the improvements that we’ve shown,” said Chad Reese, WRA senior traffic engineer.

Step-by-step, engineers and project managers detailed their plans, building two new flyover ramps above the interstate while shifting or eliminating intersections, on and off ramps, and traffic lights, something officials say will literally pay off.

“There is a greater $8 million safety and delay benefit per year based off the reduction of crashes and delays we are limiting with this project,” said Eric Meyer, WRA project manager.

As for when you can expect to see those improvements, PennDOT provided a timeline with complete engineering planning to be done this summer and construction set to begin in 2025. The new interchange should open to traffic in 2026 or 2027.

You can access the entire meeting by visiting PennDOT’s website.