Pennsylvania Route 28

Pennsylvania Route 28 (PA 28) is a major state highway, which runs for 98 mi from Anderson Street in Pittsburgh to U.S. Route 219 (US 219) in Brockway in Pennsylvania in the United States.

From Pittsburgh to Kittanning, it is a 44.5 mi limited access expressway that is named the Alexander H. Lindsay Memorial Highway, and is also known as the Allegheny Valley Expressway.

Route description
PA 28 begins adjacent to Downtown Pittsburgh at Anderson Street near the Interstate 279 (I-279)/I-579 interchange and travels north/northeast along the northern bank of the Allegheny River. Until recently the route was a surface street for the first 2 mi until the 40th Street Bridge and then an expressway from 40th Street to Kittanning. Upgrades in 2013 made it a limited-access highway throughout its 44.5 mi in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area from the route's start at I-279 to Rayburn Township, Armstrong County, with Governor Tom Corbett attending the completion ceremony on November 17, 2014.

In Etna, PA 28 interchanges with Pennsylvania Route 8 at exit 5 before departing the Blue Belt, which PA 28 is part of from I-279/I-579 to this point, at exit 6 near Aspinwall. Near Harmar Township, PA 28 meets Pennsylvania Route 910 at exit 11 which provided access to Interstate 76 (the Pennsylvania Turnpike).

From exit 11 to U.S. Route 422 west of Kittanning, PA 28 has eight interchanges, including exits with Pittsburgh Mills Boulevard (exit 12A), Pennsylvania Route 366 (exit 14), and Pennsylvania Route 356 (exit 17), while continuing to parallel the Allegheny to the east. Exit 18 consists of Pennsylvania Route 128 crossing or which used to be old 28 before the expressway. At exit 19, PA 28 merges with the limited-access US 422 and heads east along US 422 as it proceeds south of West Kittanning.

Upon crossing the Allegheny River and entering Kittanning, US 422 and PA 28 interchange with Pennsylvania Route 66. PA 66 then joins the concurrency for two miles (3 km) to an exit with U.S. Route 422 Business southeast of downtown Kittanning. Here, US 422 leaves the freeway and heads east toward Indiana while PA 28 and PA 66 remain concurrent as they progress northward.

The 41 mi freeway ends with a concurrency with Pennsylvania Route 66. In Rayburn Township, PA 28/PA 66 intersects the western terminus of Pennsylvania Route 85. After PA 85, PA 28/PA 66 head towards the northeast. In South Bethlehem, PA 28/PA 66 become North Street and Broad Street then intersecting the northern terminus of Pennsylvania Route 839.

After crossing Redbank Creek, PA 28/PA 66 enters Clarion County and New Bethlehem. In downtown New Bethlehem, PA 66 splits off from PA 28 and making the PA 28/PA 66 concurrency one of the longest concurrencies in Pennsylvania. After the split, PA 28 heads northeast as Broad Street paralleling Redbank Creek. In Hawthorn, PA 28 is called Brookville Street and meets the western terminus of Pennsylvania Route 536. North of PA 536, PA 28 begins to slide to the north instead of the northeast.

In Summerville, PA 28's course begins to slide towards the northeast again and in Summerville, PA 28 is called Harrison Street. In Clover and Rose townships, PA 28 parallels many railroads tracks that even cross it.

In Brookville, PA 28 has a wrong-way concurrency with U.S. Route 322 and Pennsylvania Route 36. The reason of the wrong-way concurrency is that PA 28 is heading north while PA 36 is heading south on the concurrency with US 322. In downtown Brookville, PA 36 splits off from US 322/PA 28. Then after crossing North Fork Creek, US 322/PA 28 meet the southern terminus of the former Pennsylvania Route 968.

East of here, US 322 splits off from PA 28 at a "T" interchange. East of Brookville in Pine Creek Township, PA 28 intersects Interstate 80 at exit 81 a diamond interchange. North of I-80, PA 28 continues north as a local road without intersecting another route for more than 14 mi. PA 28 passes through the many wildlife in Pennsylvania through a forest region. In Brockway, PA 28 is called Main Street before terminating (ending) at a "T" intersection with U.S. Route 219.

History
In 1927, PA 28 was created, being signed on existing two laned roads from Pittsburgh to Kittanning. It is named after Alexander Lindsay, a lawyer who lived in South Buffalo and commuted to work in Pittsburgh: he successfully lobbied for the city to be connected to the proposed Keystone Shortway (I-80).

The highway was signed to Brockway in 1928. That same year, the route was under construction from Blawnox to Cheswick, Troy Hill Road to Oakland, and Hazen to Reitz Crossing Road. Those sections were completed in 1929, at which point the section from Avella to Woodrow and from Hickory to Fort Cherry Road began construction.

In 1930, the section from Blawnox to Cheswick was completed, and the roadway was paved in both Venice and from Skyline Road to PA 18. That year the western terminus was also moved from Avella to Independence.

In 1940, the interchange that led to the PA turnpike was constructed.

In 1958, the highway was upgraded to freeway standards near the Pennsylvania Turnpike interchange.

On July 15, 1960, the highway's southern terminus was moved from Independence to PA 8 in Etna. The former section of PA 28 from South Main Street in the West End Valley to the intersection of Noblestown Road and Crafton Boulevard in Crafton Heights was redesignated as PA 60. The remaining 83-mile stretch from Crafton Heights to Independence was renumbered PA 50. 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.

In 1963, this section opened to traffic from PA 8 north to the Highland Park Bridge interchange and the following year to Blawnox. Also that year, the Pittsburgh Area Transportation Plan recommended upgrading PA 28 and then PA 8, to a six-lane, limited-access highway starting 2200 ft west of the 31st Street Bridge and ending at the 40th Street Bridge. Full interchanges would be constructed at both bridges; however, this recommendation was not carried out. It also laid out a plan that would turn PA 28 into an expressway from Pittsburgh to Brookville, this too was not carried out.

In 1964, the highway was widened and a median installed on it between Brackenridge and the Butler County line.

In 1965, the route was moved from Courthouse Road into Kittanning to bypass the borough on its current alignment.

In 1968, construction began on the section from Blawnox to PA 910. The expressway was proposed from that point to the Butler County line. Construction also began on the section from Slate Lick to near Center Hill in the same year.

The start of the 1970s saw the construction extend from Exit 16 all the way to a new expressway alignment for US 422, also under construction, near West Kittanning.

In 1971, construction commenced on the section from Exit 15 to Exit 16.

In 1969, construction commenced on the section from PA 910 to Exit 12 and from Exit 16 to PA 356 and the Armstrong County line. This part of the expressway opened to traffic in 1972. However, PA 28's designation was not placed on the section from Exit 15 to Exit 16.

In 1973, the expressway opened from PA 910 to Exit 12. Additionally, the route was extended to end at US 19/PA 65 at Chateau Street via Western Avenue and East Ohio Street.

In 1975, construction commenced on the section from Exit 12 to north of Tarentum; during the following year, the construction was extended to Exit 15. In 1978, the PA 28 designation was routed onto the newly opened highway from Exit 11 to Exit 12 and from Exit 15 to Exit 16. The PA 28 designation still followed Freeport Road to connect Exit 12 and Exit 15.

In 1978, the PA 28 designation was signed on the Allegheny Valley Expressway from Exit 11 to Exit 12 and from Exit 15 to Exit 16.

In 1980, the expressway opened from Exit 12 to Exit 13, and the PA 28 designation was moved onto this section.

In 1984, PA 28 was changed to follow Western Avenue, Allegheny Avenue, North Shore Drive, General Robinson Street, and Madison Avenue for northbound traffic, and Reedsdale Street for southbound traffic in Pittsburgh.

The final section of the Allegheny Valley Expressway between Exit 13 and Exit 15 opened in 1985.

During the late 1980s, through traffic at the Highland Park interchange was reduced from two lanes to one lane, with deceleration lanes being added to the approach ramps. This was done to increase safety, as well better serve the high demand for the bridge itself.

Construction began in 1985 on an unplanned extension from Ninth Street to East Ohio Street near the H. J. Heinz plant as part of completing I-279 and I-579. This project was completed in 1989.

The first section of the expressway to see a rehabilitation was the infamous "death stretch" that extended from Millvale to Etna. Statistics showed that this section saw 169 accidents occurring from 1982 through 1987. Ninety-six of them involved injuries and four involved one or more fatalities. Construction began on September 6, 1988, and involved blasting 600,000 cubic yards of rock from the hillside that parallels the highway to reduce slides, widening the lanes to 12 feet each, adding 10-foot-wide shoulders, adding should pull-off areas such as on the Parkway East, and placing a Jersey barrier in the middle of the four foot median. The Etna interchange received new lights and signage. The $14.4 million project that required four lanes of traffic to squeeze into two finally came to an end December 7, 1990, due to rain hampering construction.

Glare screen was erected on the Jersey barrier in 1991 to cut down on the effects of headlights from oncoming traffic. One final touch to this section was the addition of lighting.

In 1993, PA 28 was removed from North Side streets onto its current route, additionally its southern terminus was moved from the West End Bridge to its current location.

Due to the placement in the median instead of the outside due to the narrow right-of-way, the lights came online in 1995. The standards were not installed then because of financial limitations and uncertainty over who would pay for the electric bill. A major project that got underway in 2001 was the resurfacing of the highway between Exit 6 and Exit 10. The $13 million project started on March 12, 2001, and entailed patching potholes and laying new concrete. The $12.5 million project concluded on September 20, 2001.

Construction began on March 24, 2000 to construct a bypass from the PA 66 intersection to the PA 85 intersection. Work was completed on December 13, 2001.

Another project was enacted to reconstruct the PA 8 interchange. When originally built, the overpasses for the Allegheny Valley Expressway were built for only one lane of travel. On August 16, 1999, the off-ramp to PA 8 northbound from PA 28 southbound was closed to rebuild it for a total of $4.7 million. The ramp was lengthened and the hillside next to it was excavated to lessen the threat of falling rocks and reopened on January 11, 2000. The next step of the project was the demolition of the PA 28 southbound overpass and the widening the support pillars for a two-lane wide ramp which started on April 10, 2001, was scheduled to be completed by Thanksgiving 2001. However, the company supplying the steel for the bridge deck went bankrupt and forced the contractor to find another source. The new $11.5 million southbound bridge opened to traffic on December 10, 2001.

The interchange with I-279 at the southern end of the route had always been considered a problem since its opening. For southbound drivers wanting to continue onto I-279 south, they had to exit onto East Ohio Street and travel through three traffic signals just like a certain "town of motels" in Bedford County. Construction on a ramp to provide a direct connection began on March 31, 2008 which weaves over Madison Avenue and under the Veterans Memorial Bridge ramps, and connects to the existing I-279 on-ramp from East Ohio Street that drivers have always used. The new $7.9 million ramp opened to traffic on September 25, 2008.

November 2009 marked the beginning of the end for the "death stretch" as the first contract awarded for work related to the East Ohio Street Improvement Project was awarded. The $24.8 million project includes relocating Norfolk Southern rail lines, upgrading drainage and traffic signals, utility relocation, and wall and bridge construction along PA 28 from Chestnut Street to the 40th Street Bridge. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act-funded work began that month and lasted through May 2012. Bridge pier reconstruction at the 31st Street Bridge, also part of the project, involved closing the span on July 6, 2010 which gave commuters a reprieve from at least one signal until August 3, when the intersection was reopened. The next phase of the PA 8 interchange rebuild began on April 26, 2004, when PennDOT continued its improvements. The through lanes of the Allegheny Valley Expressway were rebuilt and the ramp from PA 8 south was realigned. Before that began, a water line had to be relocated and a 1,000-foot-long retaining wall built below the PA 28 grade. The $26.5 million project finished on March 17, 2005. The third phase of work began on June 7, 2009 which consisted of demolishing the old northbound bridge and replacing it with a modern two-lane bridge. It opened to one lane traffic on October 27, 2009 and opened fully a month later on November 25 drawing to a close the $22.5 million project. The fifth and final $27.2 million phase began on March 15, 2010, and consisted of interchange and roadway reconstruction, bridge replacement, bridge rehabilitation, wall construction, approach roadway widening, drainage, guide rail, concrete barrier, curb, landscaping, highway lighting, signing and pavement markings, signals, and improvements between Exit 4 and Exit 5. The majority of work was completed on December 3, 2010 when two-lane northbound traffic resumed, but minor work continued.

In 2011, the southbound lanes of PA 28 were shifted to bypass the intersection of the 40th Street Bridge. The northbound lanes remained under the bridge.

In 2012, an excavation lowered the roadbed of PA 28 at the 31st Street Bridge, which had been partially demolished and rebuilt to allow this.

Though technically limited access for its first two miles near downtown Pittsburgh since the 2012 construction, all lanes were clear of lane closures and construction by November, 2014 when Governor Tom Corbett attended the official groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate all 44.5 miles being expressway-grade. The widening included a small park with a promenade and a retaining wall which features several murals on the city's history, including that of the Saint Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church on the aforementioned structure's site.

On December 12, 2017, PennDOT announced that they planned on widening PA 28 at the Highland Park interchange to have two through lanes on each side while having a designated exit and entrance lanes for the bridge, with work scheduled to start in 2020 with some residual work lasting into 2021. The only other thing keeping PA-28 from having the possibility of receiving an interstate designation are the 45-mph speed limits near the Millvale and Etna Exits, as well as the section of the southbound one-lane expressway between Exit 9 (Blawnox Exit), and Exit 8,(Waterworks Exit). If these are ever to be upgraded to Interstate Highway standards, PA 28 will be up to Interstate Highway standards from its southern terminus all the way to Kittanning, and could potentially receive an Interstate designation in the future.

PA 28 Truck
Pennsylvania Route 28 Truck is a 3 mi truck route in Brookville, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania. As Route 28 travels through the Brookville city center, it becomes a narrow main street and features a relatively sharp turn just west of the bridge over North Fork Creek. As a result, after the completion of Interstate 80, Route 28's truck traffic was shifted onto this freeway bypass from Exit 78 at Pennsylvania Route 36 (which Truck 28 is cosigned for its first 1/2 mile of existence) to Exit 81, where Route 28 meets the highway.