James E. Ross Highway

The first plan to get this expressway built was spearheaded by State Representative George F. Pott (R) of Gibsonia in 1981.  He sponsored a bill that would provide $540 million to build not only this expressway, but also an expressway from Warrendale to I-70 at Charleroi that would be the equivalent of an I-279 and Mon-Fayette Expressway combination.  His bill did not pass in the legislature, and so the project sat on the shelf.  Even if it would be built, no one knew who would do the job:  PennDOT or the PTC.  It would not be until the passage of Act 61 in September 1985 that action would be taken to see the completion of PA 60.  The new $807 bond helped to get several projects started or re-started as was the case with PA Turnpike 60.

PA Turnpike 60 and I-76 Interchange
under construction.
(Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission)

On June 14, 1990, ground was broken for the first major Turnpike expansion since the construction of the Northeast Extension in 1958 and the first Turnpike project in Western Pennsylvania since the Western Extension.  Governor Robert P. Casey, state legislators, and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commissioners attended the ceremony.

The highway was the missing link on PA 60.  For years, in order to travel to New Castle from Beaver Falls, one had to take PA 18.  This section runs from US 422 in New Castle to PA 51 near Beaver Falls.  The first section to open, from US 422 to PA 108 which included the Mahoning River Bridge, opened on November 8, 1991.  The 1,700-foot-long span surpasses the Beaver River Bridge on the Turnpike's main line as is the longest in the system.

The rest of the highway opened on November 20, 1992 with the total cost coming to $243 million.  Due to aircraft trouble, Governor Casey could not make the ceremony, but addressed the crowd via a cellular phone.  Senator James E. Ross, for whom the highway is named, spoke of the optimism that he had for the economic development that would be attracted.  He then proceeded to cut the ribbon to open the expressway.

Traffic began to use the highway officially at 2:00 PM and cuts the travel time from Pittsburgh to the New Castle area.  Also, it provides a connection to the Pittsburgh International Airport. The best feature of the road, being a resident of the Commonwealth, is that it was completed on time and UNDER budget.

To "cash-in", pardon the pun, on the new highway to attract customers, some of the Sharon retailers advertised that they would reimburse anyone who came to shop at their establishments the $3 roundtrip toll.

Thanksgiving travelers got an early present on November 24 when toll collectors and maintenance personnel walked off the job for the first time in 64 years at 4 AM, forcing the PTC to wave tolls on the busiest day of the year.  Teamsters Local 77 and 250 walked off the job due to not receiving raises unlike non-union employees.  The Commission offered a raise of $21 per hour over three years, fully paid health care package, 15 paid holidays, an average of four weeks of vacation a year, and a no-layoff clause for three years.  The union rejected the offer, but would not comment on the reason.  No tolls were collected on PA Turnpike 60.  A tentative agreement was reached through negotiating sessions that began November 29 at 2:30 PM and ended on November 30 around 10 PM, ending the seven day strike.  Tolls were reinstated at 9 AM on December 1, 2004.

On October 17, 2005, US Senator Rick Santorum and US Representative Melissa Hart made an announcement at Pittsburgh International Airport that has been years in coming.  By January 1, 2009, the Interstate 376 designation will be signed on the James E. Ross Highway from PA 51 to I-76.  Improvements to the associated expressways such as the cloverleaf at US 22/US 30 and the designation change were included in the "Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users" highway reauthorization bill passed two months earlier.  Cost for the extension is estimated at $80 million to bring the expressways to Interstate Standards, but doesn't have to be completed for 25 years and certainly not by the target date of New Year's Day 2009.  It is expected that the PTC designation will be eliminated and this expressway designated solely as I-376.

The E-ZPass drought on the expressway will finally come to an end this year.  On March 16, 2006, the PTC announced that the mainline toll plazas and then the toll ramps would be retrofitted this year after similar work concluded on PA Turnpike 66.  Where there are two or more toll lanes, at least one is designated E-ZPass only.  The old coin-drop equipment was replaced with new machines, such as found at PA Turnpike 43's Jefferson Hills Toll Plaza, that can provide change up to $5 and issue receipts.  The cost of signs, upgrading ramps, electronics, new coin-drop machines and associated equipment was $15.7 million.  All work should be completed by the end of the year.  PTC Spokesman Bill Capone said, "We hear from many people who use the extensions but who haven't been motivated to enroll in E-ZPass" due to the fact it hadn't been implemented on PA Turnpike 60.

Links:
Exit Guide
PA Turnpike 60 Pictures
Pennsylvania Turnpike
Beaver Valley Expressway
Future Interstate 376 Corridor Map
Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission
Pennsylvania Turnpike 60 Toll/Mileage Calculator - Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission
PA Turnpike 60 Pictures - Andy Field/Alex Nitzman
Terminus of PA Turnpike 60 - Adam Prince

INFORMATION

Southern Terminus:	Exit 29 in Beaver Falls
Northern Terminus:	Exit 45 in New Castle
Length:	17.40 miles
National Highway System:	Entire length
Name:	James E. Ross Highway
SR Designation:	7060
Counties:	Beaver and Lawrence
Multiplexed Routes:	None
Former Designations:	None
Emergency:	*11 and call boxes every mile
Highway Conditions:	http://www.paturnpike.com/webmap/ 1-866-976-TRIP