{"id":168,"date":"2011-07-11T21:42:44","date_gmt":"2011-07-12T02:42:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pahighways.com\/blog\/?p=168"},"modified":"2024-01-01T17:47:16","modified_gmt":"2024-01-01T22:47:16","slug":"turnpike-43-finally-opens-to-west-virginia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pahighways.com\/blog\/2011\/07\/11\/turnpike-43-finally-opens-to-west-virginia\/","title":{"rendered":"Turnpike 43 FINALLY Opens to West Virginia"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Tom Petty said the waiting is the hardest part, and the Turnpike Commission can attest to that musical proclamation.\u00a0 The Mason-Dixon Link, which is the section from the state line to Exit 8 of the Mon-Fayette Expressway<\/a>, was built in the late 1990s. The majority of it opened on March 1, 2000, to traffic.\u00a0 The exception was the piece from the West Virginia state line to Exit 2. That would remain unopened for a little over a decade. The reason due to construction of WV 43 taking longer than projected because of finance issues.\u00a0 Ironically, that problem would be solved during the economic downturn of the latter part of the 2000s. ARRA, or economic stimulus, dollars were provided to the states for “shovel-ready” projects. Today, PA Turnpike 43 finally opens to West Virginia!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"Entering\r\n
Entering PA Turnpike 43 northbound at Exit 2 in a southerly direction to reach the site of the ribbon-cutting ceremonies.<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

At last, the time finally came to let that “new road smell” loose and allow vehicles other than construction company ones to drive across the state line.\u00a0 There were two ribbon-cutting ceremonies held: one south of the Mason-Dixon Line and one north.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The West Virginia Department of Transportation was up first at 10:30 AM. They brought their starting line-up of dignitaries, including Senator Joe Manchin III and Governor Earl Ray Tomblin.\u00a0 Below is footage of the West Virginia ceremony.<\/p>\r\n