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93-605: Pennsylvania Route 576 ( PA Turnpike 576 ), also known as the Southern Beltway , is a controlled-access toll road in the southern and western suburbs of Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , United States . It is envisioned to serve as a southern beltway around the Greater Pittsburgh area between Pittsburgh International Airport and the historic Steel Valley of the Monongahela River . The first segment of

186-553: A Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway line, Millers Run , and PA 50. PA Turnpike 576 continues southeast through a mix of fields and woodlands and heads across Coal Run before it crosses back into Cecil Township in Washington County and comes to its present eastern terminus at an interchange with I-79 and Morganza Road. PA Turnpike 576 uses all-electronic tolling , with tolls payable by toll-by-plate (which uses automatic license plate recognition to take

279-649: A dual highway ) in 1932 between Cologne and Bonn . It then rapidly constructed the first nationwide system of such roads. The first North American freeways (known as parkways) opened in the New York City area in the 1920s. Britain, heavily influenced by the railways, did not build its first motorway , the Preston By-pass ( M6 ), until 1958. Most technologically advanced nations feature an extensive network of freeways or motorways to provide high-capacity urban travel, or high-speed rural travel, or both. Many have

372-466: A median separates the opposite directions of traffic. This strip may be as simple as a grassy area, or may include a crash barrier such as a " Jersey barrier " or an "Ontario Tall Wall" to prevent head-on collisions . On some freeways, the two carriageways are built on different alignments; this may be done to make use of available corridors in a mountainous area or to provide narrower corridors through dense urban areas . Control of access relates to

465-731: A brief concurrency with PA 50 on Main Street, soon turning to the northwest. PA 50 continues east and passes over a tunnel of the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway, heading past homes and some businesses as it heads east-northeast through Hickory . The road turns northeast and intersects the northern terminus of PA 519 . The route heads into open agricultural areas with some trees and homes, becoming Millers Run Road. PA 50 winds east through more rural areas with some residential development and crosses into Cecil Township , passing through Gilmore. The road runs through wooded areas with some development, coming to

558-694: A cloverleaf and trumpet interchange when it opened in 1937, and until the Second World War , boasted the longest illuminated stretch of roadway built. A decade later, the first section of Highway 401 was opened, based on earlier designs. It has since gone on to become the busiest highway in the world. The word freeway was first used in February 1930 by Edward M. Bassett . Bassett argued that roads should be classified into three basic types: highways, parkways , and freeways. In Bassett's zoning and property law -based system, abutting property owners have

651-626: A commercial area. Past this interchange, the route turns north-northeast onto four-lane undivided Washington Avenue and crosses the Chartiers Creek into the borough of Bridgeville . The road becomes two lanes and runs through the commercial downtown of Bridgeville, becoming a part of the Orange Belt of the Allegheny County belt system at the Station Street intersection, before passing under

744-482: A diamond interchange with Beech Hollow Road that provides access to PA 980 . The freeway continues southeast through fields and comes to a diamond interchange with Fort Cherry Road that connects to PA 980 between the borough of Midway to the west and the borough of McDonald to the east. Past this interchange, PA Turnpike 576 curves east as it passes over Robinson Run , the Panhandle Trail , and

837-655: A few commercial buildings. The route becomes divided again crosses the Chartiers Creek back into Scott Township, becoming Washington Avenue and turning northeast as it passes over the Pittsburgh and Ohio Central Railroad at the Carothers Avenue/Hope Hollow Road intersection. Here, the Yellow Belt joins the road and it becomes undivided as it passes more homes and businesses, turning north and coming into

930-620: A freeway, specialized pedestrian footbridges or tunnels may also be provided. These structures enable pedestrians and cyclists to cross the freeway at that point without a detour to the nearest road crossing. Access to freeways is typically provided only at grade-separated interchanges , though lower-standard right-in/right-out (left-in/left-out in countries that drive on the left) access can be used for direct connections to side roads. In many cases, sophisticated interchanges allow for smooth, uninterrupted transitions between intersecting freeways and busy arterial roads . However, sometimes it

1023-697: A junction with PA 980 in Venice . PA 980 briefly follows PA 50 before heading north, with PA 50 crossing Millers Run and heading through more woodland and commercial development parallel to Millers Run to the south. The route heads into a mix of homes and businesses, turning northeast and heading through Bishop and Cecil . The road continues through more developed areas and widens into a four-lane divided highway , crossing Millers Run. PA 50 enters South Fayette Township in Allegheny County and becomes an unnamed road, heading through wooded areas with some nearby residential and commercial development. The road passes under

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1116-434: A larger number of guide signs than other roads, and the signs themselves are physically larger. Guide signs are often mounted on overpasses or overhead gantries so that drivers can see where each lane goes. Exit numbers are commonly derived from the exit's distance in miles or kilometers from the start of the freeway. In some areas, there are public rest areas or service areas on freeways, as well as emergency phones on

1209-499: A legal status which limits the types of vehicles that can use a highway, as well as a road design that limits the points at which they can access it. Major arterial roads will often have partial access control , meaning that side roads will intersect the main road at grade, instead of using interchanges, but driveways may not connect directly to the main road, and drivers must use intersecting roads to access adjacent land. At arterial junctions with relatively quiet side roads, traffic

1302-537: A list to be suspended if “future financial or economic conditions dictate a construction spending reduction”. The Mon–Fayette Expressway and Southern Beltway projects made the list despite the fact that the two projects are funded independently of toll revenue. The announcement is not expected to affect the second leg of the Southern Beltway. PA Turnpike - Southern Beltway Projects (Official Page) Controlled-access highway A controlled-access highway

1395-471: A mainline toll gantry. PA Turnpike 576 crosses back into Cecil Township in Washington County as it continues near the county line. The freeway re-enters South Fayette Township in Allegheny County and heads further from the county line, coming to a diamond interchange with South Fayette Way that provides access to PA 50 . Past this interchange, the road comes to a high bridge that crosses over

1488-518: A milepost system but does not use milepost markers. In Europe and some other countries, motorways typically have similar characteristics such as: Two-lane freeways , often undivided, are sometimes built when traffic volumes are low or right-of-way is limited; they may be designed for easy conversion to one side of a four-lane freeway. (For example, most of the Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway in eastern Kentucky

1581-511: A mix of farmland and woodland with some homes, curving east. The route winds through more rural areas, passing through P&W Patch and heading into woods as it comes to an intersection with the northern terminus of PA 231 . PA 50 turns northeast and heads into the residential community of Avella , curving north before turning east and passing over a Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway line. The route turns south-southeast before quickly turning east and then south-southeast again, running through more of

1674-447: A motorway is understood as a public road with dual carriageways and at least two lanes each way. All entrances and exits are signposted and all interchanges are grade separated. Central barrier or median present throughout the road. No crossing is permitted, while stopping is permitted only in an emergency. Restricted access to motor vehicles, prohibited to pedestrians, animals, pedal cycles, mopeds, agricultural vehicles. The minimum speed

1767-772: A national-level or even international-level (e.g. European E route ) system of route numbering . There are several international standards that give some definitions of words such as motorways, but there is no formal definition of the English language words such as freeway , motorway , and expressway , or of the equivalent words in other languages such as autoroute , Autobahn , autostrada , autocesta, autoput , that are accepted worldwide—in most cases these words are defined by local statute or design standards or regional international treaties. Descriptions that are widely used include: One green or blue symbol (like [REDACTED] ) appears at motorway entry in countries that follow

1860-589: A number of patterns. The actual pattern is determined by a number of factors including local topology, traffic density, land cost, building costs, type of road, etc. In some jurisdictions feeder/distributor lanes are common, especially for cloverleaf interchanges ; in others, such as the United Kingdom, where the roundabout interchange is common, feeder/distributor lanes are seldom seen. Motorways in Europe typically differ between exits and junctions. An exit leads out of

1953-594: A park and where intersecting streets crossed over bridges. The Southern State Parkway opened in 1927, while the Long Island Motor Parkway was closed in 1937 and replaced by the Northern State Parkway (opened 1931) and the contiguous Grand Central Parkway (opened 1936). In Germany, construction of the Bonn-Cologne Autobahn began in 1929 and was opened in 1932 by Konrad Adenauer , then

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2046-515: A photo of the vehicle's license plate and mail a bill to the vehicle owner) or E-ZPass . Mainline toll gantries are located between exits 2 and 4, exits 6 and 8, and exits 11 and 16. As of 2024, the toll to travel the entire length of PA Turnpike 576 costs $ 9.00 using toll-by-plate and $ 4.50 using E-ZPass, with each mainline toll gantry charging $ 3.00 using toll-by-plate and $ 1.50 using E-ZPass. The Findlay Connector section of PA Turnpike 576 originally had ramp toll plazas located at

2139-457: A private venture, was the world's first limited-access roadway. It included many modern features, including banked turns , guard rails and reinforced concrete tarmac . Traffic could turn left between the parkway and connectors, crossing oncoming traffic, so it was not a controlled-access highway (or "freeway" as later defined by the federal government's Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices ). Modern controlled-access highways originated in

2232-412: A ramp that provides access to I-79 to the west. The road continues north-northeast through areas of residential and commercial development between I-79 to the west and the Chartiers Creek to the east, entering Scott Township and passing more businesses as a divided highway. PA 50 curves northeast and heads into the borough of Heidelberg as an undivided road and curves north through residential areas with

2325-609: A reduction in deaths in a range from 20% to 50% on those sections. Speed, in Europe, is considered to be one of the main contributory factors to collisions. Some countries, such as France and Switzerland, have achieved a death reduction by a better monitoring of speed. Tools used for monitoring speed might be an increase in traffic density; improved speed enforcement and stricter regulation leading to driver license withdrawal; safety cameras; penalty point; and higher fines. Some other countries use automatic time-over-distance cameras (also known as section controls ) to manage speed. Fatigue

2418-538: A separate roadway or altogether eliminates it. In some parts of the world, notably parts of the US , frontage roads form an integral part of the freeway system. These parallel surface roads provide a transition between high-speed "through" traffic and local traffic. Frequent slip-ramps provide access between the freeway and the frontage road, which in turn provides direct access to local roads and businesses. Except on some two-lane freeways (and very rarely on wider freeways),

2511-510: A similar system of express and local lanes for a maximum width of 21 lanes on a 2-mile (3.2 km) segment between Interstate 805 and California State Route 56 . In Mississauga , Ontario, Highway 401 uses collector-express lanes for a total of 18 lanes through its intersection with Highway 403 / Highway 410 and Highway 427 . These wide freeways may use separate collector and express lanes to separate through traffic from local traffic, or special high-occupancy vehicle lanes , either as

2604-411: A special restriction on the innermost lane or a separate roadway, to encourage carpooling . These HOV lanes , or roadways open to all traffic, can be reversible lanes , providing more capacity in the direction of heavy traffic, and reversing direction before traffic switches. Sometimes a collector/distributor road , a shorter version of a local lane, shifts weaving between closely spaced interchanges to

2697-411: A toll gantry along the mainline. While many metropolitan areas in the U.S. comparable to the size of Pittsburgh such as Baltimore , Cincinnati , Columbus , Indianapolis , Louisville , and Nashville have an Interstate beltway that serve both locals and long-distance travelers as a way to ease traffic congestion, the Pittsburgh metropolitan area does not have a true beltway. With the exception of

2790-453: Is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway , motorway , and expressway . Other similar terms include throughway or thruway and parkway . Some of these may be limited-access highways , although this term can also refer to a class of highways with somewhat less isolation from other traffic. In countries following

2883-608: Is considered as a risk factor more specific to monotonous roads such as motorways, although such data are not monitored/recorded in many countries. According to Vinci Autoroutes , one third of accidents in French motorways are due to sleepy driving. Pennsylvania Route 50 PA 50 begins at an intersection with PA 844 in the community of Independence in Independence Township , Washington County , heading northeast on two-lane undivided Avella Road. The road winds north through

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2976-728: Is controlled mainly by two-way stop signs which do not impose significant interruptions on traffic using the main highway. Roundabouts are often used at busier intersections in Europe because they help minimize interruptions in flow, while traffic signals that create greater interference with traffic are still preferred in North America. There may be occasional interchanges with other major arterial roads. Examples include US 23 between SR 15 's eastern terminus and Delaware, Ohio , along with SR 15 between its eastern terminus and I-75 , US 30 , SR 29 / US 33 , and US 35 in western and central Ohio. This type of road

3069-639: Is necessary to exit onto a surface road to transfer from one freeway to another. One example in the United States (notorious for the resulting congestion) is the connection from Interstate 70 to the Pennsylvania Turnpike ( Interstate 70 and Interstate 76 ) through the town of Breezewood, Pennsylvania . Speed limits are generally higher on freeways and are occasionally nonexistent (as on much of Germany's Autobahn network). Because higher speeds reduce decision time, freeways are usually equipped with

3162-450: Is not lower than 50 km/h [31 mph] and the maximum speed is not higher than 130 km/h [81 mph] (except Germany where no speed limit is defined). Motorways are designed to carry heavy traffic at high speed with the lowest possible number of accidents. They are also designed to collect long-distance traffic from other roads, so that conflicts between long-distance traffic and local traffic are avoided. According to

3255-431: Is provided with separate carriageways for the two directions of traffic). Principal arterials may cross through urban areas, serving suburban movements. The traffic is characterized by high speeds and full or partial access control (interchanges or junctions controlled by traffic lights). Other roads leading to a principal arterial are connected to it through side collector roads. In this view, CARE's definition stands that

3348-407: Is sometimes called an expressway . Freeways are usually limited to motor vehicles of a minimum power or weight; signs may prohibit cyclists , pedestrians and equestrians and impose a minimum speed. It is possible for non-motorized traffic to use facilities within the same right-of-way, such as sidewalks constructed along freeway-standard bridges and multi-use paths next to freeways such as

3441-480: Is specially sign-posted as a motorway and is reserved for specific categories of road motor vehicles." Urban motorways are also included in this definition. However, the respective national definitions and the type of roads covered may present slight differences in different EU countries. The first version of modern controlled-access highways evolved during the first half of the 20th century. The Long Island Motor Parkway on Long Island , New York , opened in 1908 as

3534-563: Is still pending, with federal approval already given. Like the Mon–Fayette Expressway, the Southern Beltway has no direct connection to the Pennsylvania Turnpike mainline despite being built and maintained by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC). Both highways, however, will have indirect connections with the turnpike's mainline via I-376. PA Turnpike 576 begins at an interchange with I-376 and

3627-545: Is the result of several changes, including infrastructure safety and road user behavior (speed or seat belt use), while other matters such as vehicle safety and mobility patterns have an impact that has not been quantified. Motorways are the safest roads by design. While accounting for more than one quarter of all kilometres driven, they contributed only 8% of the total number of European road deaths in 2006. Germany's Federal Highway Research Institute provided International Road Traffic and Accident Database (IRTAD) statistics for

3720-408: Is two lanes, but work has begun to make all of it four-lane.) These are often called Super two roads. Several such roads are infamous for a high rate of lethal crashes; an outcome because they were designed for short sight distances (sufficient for freeways without oncoming traffic, but insufficient for the years in service as two-lane road with oncoming traffic). An example of such a "Highway to Hell"

3813-611: The Dartford Crossing (the furthest downstream public crossing of the River Thames ) or where it was not economic to build a motorway alongside the existing road such as the former Cumberland Gap . The A1 is a good example of piece-wise upgrading to motorway standard—as of January 2013, the 639-kilometre-long (397 mi) route had five stretches of motorway (designated as A1(M)), reducing to four stretches in March 2018 with completion of

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3906-609: The Marcellus Formation , which was just beginning when the Findlay Connector opened in 2006, helped expedite the earlier opening date for the second section of the Southern Beltway. Construction began on February 17, 2014, with rock blasting on the unbuilt end of the US 22 interchange to begin building the bridge to carry the Southern Beltway over US 22, while a formal groundbreaking with Governor Corbett and other state officials occurred on May 12, 2014. Construction beyond

3999-454: The Montour Trail on a high bridge into Mount Pleasant Township , soon crossing into Cecil Township . The road heads over PA 980 on a high bridge south of McDonald as it continues through rural areas. The freeway crosses into South Fayette Township in Allegheny County and immediately turns southeast, running immediately to the northeast of the border with Washington County and reaching

4092-466: The PA 576 toll road, with access provided by South Fayette Way, before it heads across Millers Run twice. Near Gladden, the road intersects the eastern terminus of PA 978 . The route winds northeast near more suburban areas separated by woodland, with the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway a short distance to the northwest of the road. PA 50 becomes Millers Run Road again and heads east to an interchange with I-79 in

4185-593: The Pennsylvania Turnpike/Interstate 95 Interchange Project first before determining if it will use such funding for other projects. The PTC was expected to make a decision on how to proceed on the Southern Beltway's final leg by mid-2015. On June 18, 2015, the PTC announced that the final leg of the Southern Beltway would be restarted and return to the design phase, though no timetable for its construction has been established. Due to ongoing financial issues with

4278-837: The Suncoast Trail along the Suncoast Parkway in Florida . In some US jurisdictions, especially where freeways replace existing roads, non-motorized access on freeways is permitted. Different states of the United States have different laws. Cycling on freeways in Arizona may be prohibited only where there is an alternative route judged equal or better for cycling. Wyoming , the second least densely populated state, allows cycling on all freeways. Oregon allows bicycles except on specific urban freeways in Portland and Medford . In countries such as

4371-531: The United Kingdom new motorways require an Act of Parliament to ensure restricted right of way. Since upgrading an existing road (the "King's Highway") to a full motorway will result in extinguishing the right of access of certain groups such as pedestrians, cyclists and slow-moving traffic, many controlled access roads are not full motorways. In some cases motorways are linked by short stretches of road where alternative rights of way are not practicable such as

4464-424: The United Kingdom , do not distinguish between the two, but others make a distinction; for example, Germany uses the words Kreuz ("cross") or Dreieck ("triangle") for the former and Ausfahrt ("exit") for the latter. In all cases one road crosses the other via a bridge or a tunnel, as opposed to an at-grade crossing . The inter-connecting roads, or slip-roads , which link the two roads, can follow any one of

4557-463: The Vienna convention , the motorway qualification implies that walking and parking are forbidden. A fully controlled-access highway provides an unhindered flow of traffic, with no traffic signals , intersections or property access . They are free of any at-grade crossings with other roads, railways, or pedestrian paths, which are instead carried by overpasses and underpasses . Entrances and exits to

4650-490: The shoulder at regular intervals. In the United States, mileposts usually start at the southern or westernmost point on the freeway (either its terminus or the state line). California , Ohio and Nevada use postmile systems in which the markers indicate mileage through the state's individual counties. However, Nevada and Ohio also use the standard milepost system concurrently with their respective postmile systems. California numbers its exits off its freeways according to

4743-418: The $ 2.2 billion (as of December 2013) cost needed to complete the Mon–Fayette Expressway. The second leg of the Southern Beltway is the first project completed with the new funding available for both the Southern Beltway and the Mon–Fayette Expressway. On January 13, 2014, the PTC awarded two contracts for the project, anticipating completion in 2019, a year ahead of the original schedule. Increased activity in

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4836-497: The A1(M) through North Yorkshire . The most frequent way freeways are laid out is by building them from the ground up after obstructions such as forestry or buildings are cleared away. Sometimes they deplete farmland, but other methods have been developed for economic, social and even environmental reasons. Full freeways are sometimes made by converting at-grade expressways or by replacing at-grade intersections with overpasses; however, in

4929-665: The Baldwick Road intersection. The road gains a center left-turn lane and heads north-northeast past businesses, intersecting the northern terminus of PA 121 where the Blue Belt heads southeast to follow that route. Here, the route turns north to fully enter Pittsburgh and pass more commercial establishments as a three-lane road with two southbound lanes and one northbound lane. PA 50 becomes two lanes and turns northeast into residential neighborhoods, curving northwest before reaching its eastern terminus at PA 60 . On July 15, 1960, PA 50

5022-414: The Findlay Connector now does. On November 25, 2013, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett signed a transportation bill into law, known as Act 89, that would raise vehicle registration fees and remove the oil tax cap in order to fund transportation projects in the state. Act 89 was expected to provide funding to complete the Southern Beltway all the way to the Mon–Fayette Expressway and to provide almost half of

5115-469: The Findlay Connector would be the only section of the Southern Beltway to be built for a decade. On December 21, 2012, the PTC announced that construction of a 13.2 mile section between US 22 and I-79 would proceed. The initially projected completion date was for some time in 2021. Weather conditions and other delays pushed the probable completion date closer to the summer of 2022. The toll route between US 22 and I-79 features all-electronic tolling as

5208-575: The Findlay Connector, residents from the Weirton/Steubenville area had to travel down US 22 all the way down to PA 60 in heavily congested Robinson Township , then take then-PA 60 north to the Airport. In 2009, PA 60 north of the interchange was rebranded as an extension of I-376. Due to funding limitations, as well as emphasis on connecting the two fragmented sections of the Mon–Fayette Expressway between Uniontown and Brownsville ,

5301-602: The Imperial Grasslands in the path of construction. The Findlay Connector received its name because it served as a connector from the Weirton, West Virginia / Steubenville, Ohio area to the Pittsburgh International Airport through Findlay Township. The connector reduced the average commute time between these places by at least 15 minutes. The Findlay Connector opened on October 11, 2006. Before construction of

5394-446: The PTC regarding Act 44, the future of the Mon–Fayette Expressway and the Southern Beltway was in doubt due to the PTC wanting to focus its capital expenses on its ongoing project of widening the mainline Pennsylvania Turnpike to six lanes except at its tunnels. On November 16, 2016, the PTC announced that they would not suspend any capital projects for the time being, but did place the Mon–Fayette Expressway and Southern Beltway projects on

5487-504: The Turnpike from New Stanton to Cranberry, the distance of I-70 from the city in comparison to the other two highways make it a little farther out from the typical beltway. Additionally, I-70 in between Washington and New Stanton, as well as the Turnpike, are not up to modern Interstate Highway standards . Although Pittsburgh does have the pre-Interstate Allegheny County belt system , these are mostly on surface streets and are rarely promoted by

5580-409: The US, any at-grade intersection that ends a freeway often remains an at-grade intersection. Often, when there is a two-lane undivided freeway or expressway, it is converted by constructing a parallel twin corridor, and leaving a median between the two travel directions. The median-side travel lane of the old two-way corridor becomes a passing lane. Other techniques involve building a new carriageway on

5673-476: The United States, allow for limited exceptions: some movable bridges , for instance the Interstate Bridge on Interstate 5 between Oregon and Washington , do require drivers to stop for ship traffic. The crossing of freeways by other routes is typically achieved with grade separation either in the form of underpasses or overpasses . In addition to sidewalks (pavements) attached to roads that cross

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5766-693: The Vienna Convention. Exits are marked with another symbol: [REDACTED] . The definitions of "motorway" from the OECD and PIARC are almost identical. In the European Union , for statistical and safety purposes, some distinction might be made between motorway and expressway . For instance a principal arterial might be considered as: Roads serving long distance and mainly interurban movements. Includes motorways (urban or rural) and expressways (road which does not serve properties bordering on it and which

5859-635: The Westport Road interchange. Following this, the freeway crosses into Robinson Township in Washington County and heads south to reach a three-level diamond interchange with the US ;22 freeway. Past the US ;22 interchange, PA Turnpike 576 continues south through wooded areas with some fields and development, coming to a mainline toll gantry before curving to the southeast. The road reaches

5952-479: The Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway. PA 50 passes more homes and businesses, with the Orange Belt turning west at Prestley Road, prior to crossing the Chartiers Creek into Collier Township and heading northeast past several commercial establishments on four-lane divided Washington Pike. The route becomes a four-lane undivided road and runs past more businesses with some homes, passing through Kirwan Heights and coming to

6045-426: The Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway. The road continues east-northeast through more rural areas to the south of the railroad tracks, passing through Woodrow. PA 50 heads into Mount Pleasant Township and turns northeast, passing under the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway. The route runs through more agricultural and wooded areas with some residences, coming to an intersection with PA 18 . Here, PA 18 turns northeast to form

6138-450: The border between the city of Pittsburgh to the northwest and the borough of Green Tree to the southeast as it passes through wooded areas with some nearby homes. PA 50 curves east and north as it passes southeast of Chartiers Cemetery and runs near more residences and businesses. The route curves northeast and east through more wooded residential areas, becoming a part of the Blue Belt at

6231-670: The borough of Carnegie . PA 50 narrows to two lanes and runs through residential areas, reaching an intersection with East Main Street in the commercial downtown. At this point, the Yellow Belt turns southwest onto that road while PA 50 heads northeast onto East Main Street, passing downtown businesses before running past a mix of residential and commercial development. The route comes to an interchange with I-376 / US 22 / US 30 with access through local streets as it crosses back into Scott Township and heads east through more suburban development on Noblestown Road. The road turns northeast and becomes

6324-783: The bridge. The Queen Elizabeth II Bridge / Dartford tunnel at London Orbital is an example of this. London Orbital or the M25 is a motorway surrounding London , but at the last River Thames crossing before its mouth, motorway rules do not apply. (At this crossing the London Orbital is labeled A282 instead.) A few of the more common types of junction are shown below: There are many differences between countries in their geography, economy, traffic growth, highway system size, degree of urbanization and motorization, etc.; all of which need to be taken into consideration when comparisons are made. According to some EU papers, safety progress on motorways

6417-416: The city and Allegheny County . The Southern Beltway, which would bring a southern road closer to the city core and serve as a partial beltway, was first conceived in the 1980s when the Mon–Fayette Expressway received new life with Act 61 legislation, which transferred control of that project from PennDOT to the PTC. Additionally, the relocation and expansion of Pittsburgh International Airport helped spur

6510-492: The common European definition, a motorway is defined as "a road, specially designed and built for motor traffic, which does not serve properties bordering on it, and which: (a) is provided, except at special points or temporarily, with separate carriageways for the two directions of traffic, separated from each other, either by a dividing strip not intended for traffic, or exceptionally by other means; (b) does not cross at level with any road, railway or tramway track, or footpath; (c)

6603-498: The community. The road leaves Avella and turns east into woodland a short distance to the north of the railroad tracks, crossing the Cross Creek into Cross Creek Township . PA 50 runs through more forested areas to the north of the creek and the railroad tracks, with the road and railroad line turning northeast away from the Cross Creek. The route runs east through more woodland with some fields and homes, passing through Rea and crossing

6696-517: The early 1920s in response to the rapidly increasing use of the automobile , the demand for faster movement between cities and as a consequence of improvements in paving processes, techniques and materials. These original high-speed roads were referred to as " dual highways " and have been modernized and are still in use today. Italy was the first country in the world to build controlled-access highways reserved for fast traffic and for motor vehicles only. The Autostrada dei Laghi ("Lakes Motorway"),

6789-489: The eastbound exit and westbound entrances of its three interchanges (excluding the western terminus at I-376). All toll plazas were equipped with an electronic fare collection system (E-ZPass) and for cash customers, a dual-height, automated machine for toll collection. On June 3, 2018, the turnpike commission implemented all-electronic tolling along the Findlay Connector section of PA Turnpike 576. The ramp tolls were removed and all-electronic tolls were collected from

6882-467: The entrance to Pittsburgh International Airport in Findlay Township , Allegheny County . From here, the route heads southwest as a four-lane freeway. The road runs through wooded areas, where it curves south and has a diamond interchange with US 30 . Past this interchange, PA Turnpike 576 continues southwest through more rural areas, coming to a mainline toll gantry before it reaches

6975-482: The first built in the world, connecting Milan to Lake Como and Lake Maggiore , and now parts of the A8 and A9 motorways, was devised by Piero Puricelli and was inaugurated in 1924. This motorway, called autostrada , contained only one lane in each direction and no interchanges. The Bronx River Parkway was the first road in North America to utilize a median strip to separate the opposing lanes, to be constructed through

7068-412: The first half of the 20th century. Italy was the first country in the world to build controlled-access highways reserved for fast traffic and for motor vehicles only. Italy opened its first autostrada in 1924, A8 , connecting Milan to Varese . Germany began to build its first controlled-access autobahn without speed limits (30 kilometres [19 mi] on what is now A555 , then referred to as

7161-543: The following day. Construction of the remaining movements at the I-79 interchange was completed and opened to traffic on June 24, 2022. The second leg of the Southern Beltway is expected to provide significant economic development to rural northwestern Washington County . As part of the road project, Robinson Township changed many of its zoning laws to promote development along the Southern Beltway corridor, including allowing hydraulic fracturing in some zones. Additionally, since

7254-504: The highway are provided at interchanges by slip roads (ramps), which allow for speed changes between the highway and arterials and collector roads . On the controlled-access highway, opposing directions of travel are generally separated by a median strip or central reservation containing a traffic barrier or grass. Elimination of conflicts with other directions of traffic dramatically improves safety, while increasing traffic capacity and speed. Controlled-access highways evolved during

7347-768: The highway between PA 60 (now I-376 ) and Pittsburgh International Airport in Findlay Township and US 22 in Robinson Township opened to traffic on October 11, 2006. The second segment of the highway between US 22 and I-79 in Cecil Township near the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies opened to traffic on October 15, 2021. The status of the final segment of the highway between I-79 and PA Turnpike 43 (the Mon–Fayette Expressway)

7440-790: The interchange began in January 2017 and would involve excavating underneath I-79 to allow the Southern Beltway to pass underneath that highway. Work began on the 3.2-mile section of the highway between the Panhandle Trail and Cecil Reissing Road in Cecil in March 2017, a $ 90.6 million project. By April 2021, most of the mainline paving and bridge work was complete, with finishing touches like road sign and toll gantry installation as well as line striping to take place in mid-2021. Completion of ramps to connect eastbound PA Turnpike 576 to southbound I-79 and northbound I-79 to westbound PA Turnpike 576

7533-460: The mayor of Cologne . The German Autobahn became the first nationwide highway system. In Canada , the first precursor with semi-controlled access was The Middle Road between Hamilton and Toronto , which featured a median divider between opposing traffic flow, as well as the nation's first cloverleaf interchange . This highway developed into the Queen Elizabeth Way , which featured

7626-400: The motorway system, whilst a junction is a crossing between motorways or a split/merge of two motorways. The motorway rules end at exits, but not at junctions. However, on some bridges, motorways, without changing appearance, temporarily end between the two exits closest to the bridge (or tunnel), and continue as dual carriageways . This is in order to give slower vehicles a possibility to use

7719-439: The other. Other methods involve constructing a service drive that shortens the long driveways (typically by less than 100 metres (330 ft)). An interchange or a junction is a highway layout that permits traffic from one controlled-access highway to access another and vice versa, whereas an access point is a highway layout where traffic from a distributor or local road can join a controlled-access highway. Some countries, such as

7812-606: The project was announced, Royal Dutch Shell has built a $ 6 billion cracker plant in nearby Monaca in Beaver County . This itself has created a major economic boom in the area, with hotels and a mini-casino being built in the vicinity. In December 2014, it was reported that the Mon–Fayette Expressway and the Southern Beltway might get additional funding through foreign investors who obtain an EB-5 visa in exchange for investing at least $ 500,000 for public projects. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission will use EB-5 funding for

7905-478: The project. Less than a year before the airport relocated to its new site, the PTC decided to move forward with the Southern Beltway project in 1991. Ground on the first leg of the Southern Beltway, also known as the Findlay Connector , was broken on November 12, 2003, connecting what was then PA 60 to US 22. The Connector was delayed by the discovery of state endangered short eared owls nesting at

7998-523: The rainbow-colored Pittsburgh Belt System , most major traffic roadways either travel into the city (such as I-279 and I-376) or bypass it just outside the city limits (moving north/south I-79 and the mainline Pennsylvania Turnpike / I-76 ), with I-70 to the south and I-80 to the north being a somewhat greater distance from the city. While it could be argued that Pittsburgh does have somewhat of an existing beltway with I-79 from Cranberry Township to Washington , I-70 from Washington to New Stanton , and

8091-477: The rate is higher than the risk on urban roads. Speeds are higher on rural roads and autobahns than urban roads, increasing the severity potential of a crash. According to ETSC, German motorways without a speed limit, but with a 130 km/h (81 mph) speed recommendation, are 25% more deadly than motorways with a speed limit. Germany also introduced some 130 km/h (81 mph) speed limits on various motorway sections that were not limited. This generated

8184-643: The rights of light , air and access to highways, but not parkways and freeways; the latter two are distinguished in that the purpose of a parkway is recreation, while the purpose of a freeway is movement. Thus, as originally conceived, a freeway is simply a strip of public land devoted to movement to which abutting property owners do not have rights of light, air or access. Freeways, by definition, have no at-grade intersections with other roads, railroads or multi-use trails . Therefore, no traffic signals are needed and through traffic on freeways does not normally need to stop at traffic signals. Some countries, such as

8277-432: The side of a divided highway that has a lot of private access on one side and sometimes has long driveways on the other side since an easement for widening comes into place, especially in rural areas. When a third carriageway is added, sometimes it can shift a directional carriageway by 20–60 metres (50–200 ft) (or maybe more depending on land availability) as a way to retain private access on one side that favors over

8370-406: The year 2010, comparing overall fatality rates with motorway rates (regardless of traffic intensity): The German autobahn network illustrates the safety trade-offs of controlled access highways. The injury crash rate is very low on autobahns, while 22 people died per 1,000 injury crashes—although autobahns have a lower rate than the 29 deaths per 1,000 injury accidents on conventional rural roads,

8463-443: Was European route E4 from Gävle to Axmartavlan , Sweden. The high rate of crashes with severe personal injuries on that (and similar) roads did not cease until a median crash barrier was installed, transforming the fatal crashes into non-fatal crashes. Otherwise, freeways typically have at least two lanes in each direction; some busy ones can have as many as 16 or more lanes in total. In San Diego, California , Interstate 5 has

8556-569: Was designated to replace the stretch of PA 28 between the West Virginia border and Pittsburgh. This designation change was made to reduce the number of concurrent routes in Pittsburgh. The changes took effect a few months later and signs were changed by spring 1961. Although PA 28 was (and remains) signed as a north-south route, PA 50 was signed east-west as the truncated route now ran mostly east-west as opposed to overall northeast-southwest route of

8649-407: Was planned to take place in mid-October 2021, with the remaining movements at the I-79 interchange to be completed by early 2022. On October 9, 2021, a community day was held on a section of the roadway, with visitors allowed to walk or bicycle along the highway. A ribbon-cutting ceremony for this segment was held on October 14, 2021, with state and local officials in attendance, which opened to traffic

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