BREEZEWOOD, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Turnpike announced that it will redesign the Breezewood Interchange when it launches its Open Road Tolling.
The PA Turnpike will be accepting statements of interest from firms for the redesign through Oct. 17. The selected firm is slated to be named in Spring 2025, as part of the initial planning phase.
The redesign includes a connection to Interstate 70, as well as a three-mile total reconstruction and widening of the PA Turnpike (I-70/76 and Interstate 76) between mileposts 160-163.
“Redesigning the Breezewood Interchange will have a significant impact on Pennsylvania drivers, visitors and commercial customers,” said Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Secretary and PA Turnpike Commission Chair Mike Carroll. “Beyond reducing congestion and improving travel times, a connection to I-70 enhances safety, air quality and accessibility to the roadway, while turning land back over to the community for development. There’s also an opportunity to enhance our Commonwealth’s truck parking capacity and improve access to safe parking.”
The interchange was already scheduled for renovations as part of the Turnpike’s Total Reconstruction Initiative, which will expand the roadway into six lanes. The Turnpike Commission said rather than replace the existing infrastructure, the Commission is taking the opportunity to connect to I-70, a connection that will keep long distance travelers and commercial traffic on the interstate, while supporting safe, less congested access to local communities for visitors.
ORT is scheduled to be fully implemented across the Pennsylvania Turnpike in 2027.
More information on design and construction timelines will be released once they are established, the commission said.
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