BCT Editorial – 5/22/05

This page was last updated on May 22, 2005.

Worth the cost; Editorial; Beaver County Times; May 22, 2005.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject editorial.

“Getting from here to there on an as-yet-designated interstate highway that runs from Monroeville to Sharon is going to cost around $91 million - and it will be worth every penny.”

[RWC] The Times has no credibility on this topic. In an editorial entitled “Missing the point,” the Times claimed spending $255 million on the white elephant James E. Ross (D) Highway (Toll Route 60) was a good “investment.”

“The Associated Press reports a state-commissioned study estimates that $91 million is how much it is going to cost to give the Parkway East, Parkway West, Beaver Valley Expressway and toll Beaver Valley Expressway - also known as Interstate 376, Interstate 279, Routes 22/30, Route 60 and Toll Route 60 along its 90 miles - one federal highway designation. (I-376 is the one that is kicked around the most.)

“The $91 million would cover the cost of signs and road modifications to bring it up to minimum Federal Highway Administration engineering and safety standards.

“(What does it say about past state practices regarding road construction when the state-funded parts of this road system need to be brought up to minimum FHA standards?)”

[RWC] I’m not an expert on this topic, but not all government “standards” can be justified on economic and/or engineering grounds. Without knowing the details and even though I’m not a PennDOT fan, I’d be slow to pass judgment. Then again, I’m an engineer, not a professional editorial writer.

“Although the report has been accepted by the FHA, don’t break out the champagne just yet.

“It’s going to be a long time, if ever, before our multi-named highway is given its final designation.”

[RWC] I agree it would be nice for this stretch of highway to have a single designation, but why an interstate designation? Lest we forget, this stretch begins and ends in Pennsylvania and never leaves the commonwealth. It’s an intrastate highway, not an interstate highway. If anything it should have a single state highway designation.

Second, whether it’s designated intrastate (correct) or interstate (incorrect), would it really be worth $91 million? Let’s see the detailed economic analysis showing the costs and benefits before drawing conclusions.