​The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced today the early completion of major work on the project to reconstruct nearly seven miles of Interstate 90 and the Route 18 interchange in Erie County. 

"Interstate work often presents a challenge to our crews and motorists due to the nature and complexity of the work as well as the necessity for lane restrictions, rolling closures and detours. Early in this project, it became a focus of our inspection and oversight crew to coordinate with our contractor, Lindy Paving, to facilitate quick work that still provided a safe environment and a quality product for motorists," said District 1 Executive Brian McNulty, P.E. "Because of that collaborative mindset, the team was able to overcome some unexpected obstacles and complete the major work in 2023, leaving only minor finishing activities to be done in the final year of the contract." 

Work in 2023, which focused on reconstruction of the westbound lanes of the interstate from near mile marker 3.5 to near mile marker 10.5, in Springfield Township, Girard Township, and Platea Borough, is expected to wrap up by the end of the month. It is the final major work in the $66.1 million project that started in 2021. 

The only work expected in 2024 is cable median barrier installation, which will require only short-term lane closures. Originally the contract called for major work every year of the project, which would require concrete barriers, long-term lane restrictions, and detours.  

Completing the major work early, minimizes disruptions to travelers and complements Governor Shapiro's commitment to transforming Pennsylvania government to more effectively serve Pennsylvanians by cutting through red tape and working as safely and efficiently as possible. It is that same spirit that was demonstrated in the effort to successfully open I-95 in just 12 days, and PennDOT's team of expert engineers and work crews continue to work efficiently for people across Pennsylvania.   

"The mile markers 3.5 to 10.5 project was one of the largest design undertakings by our in-house team at the time, which resulted in a large savings for taxpayers," McNulty said. "It also gave us an opportunity to make safety improvements that should benefit motorists and first responders, and roadway upgrades that will lead to savings on maintenance costs for years to come." 

These safety and roadway improvements included the construction of two tear drop roundabouts at the Exit 9 (Route 18, Girard/Platea), installation of ramp gates at Exit 6 (Route 215, East Springfield/Albion) and Exit 9, the replacement of the bridges over Nieger Road with culverts to allow for trail and motor vehicle traffic under the highway, new bridges with higher vertical clearance at McKee Road, Route 18 and Route 215, upgrades highway lighting, drainage and guiderails, and intersection improvements at Underridge Road and Rea Road. 

The contractor is Lindy Paving, Inc. of New Galilee, PA. The contract cost is $66,133,281.90, which will be paid entirely with federal funds. 

The project, which also included the complete reconstruction of both eastbound and westbound lanes within the work area, is phase 2 and 3 of a larger plan to reconstruct or restore approximately 28 miles of I-90 in 10 years. 

This summer, work also ended up early on a contract to repave 10 miles of I-90 and make other improvements from the I-86 interchange at mile marker 35 to the New York state line in Harborcreek, Greenfield and North East townships. Originally the work, which started in late 2022, was expected to run through the 2023 construction season, but was finished earlier this summer. 

Also included in the overall I-90 plan was reconstruction work on the first 3.5 miles of interstate, which was completed between 2019 to 2021. A proposed plan to reconstruct the highway from mile marker 10.5 to mile marker 18 as well as replace Beckman Road Bridge, is in design now with construction tentatively planned to get underway in 2028. 

Information on the Interstate 90 projects is available online at www.penndot.pa.gov/I90Projects. 

Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras. 

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional X alerts accessible on the 511PA website. 

Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties at www.penndot.pa.gov/District1. 

Information about infrastructure in District 1, including completed work and significant projects, is available at www.penndot.gov/D1Results. Find PennDOT's planned and active construction projects at www.projects.penndot.gov. 

Follow local PennDOT news on X and like the department on Facebook. 

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Contact: Jill Harry, jharry@pa.gov or 814-678-5035

 Work on the westbound lanes of I-90.

New culvert carrying I-90 over Nieger Road.