Category: Traffic Design

Southern Beltway Celebration

By: Liz Gamelier ·

On October 9, 2021, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission held a community day on the newly finished Southern Beltway, the first new highway built in the Pittsburgh region in 25 years. The celebration provided an opportunity for pedestrians, bicyclists and roller bladers to experience a five mile section of the new roadway before the road opens to vehicles on October 15. Ann Kline from Trans Associates took advantage of the opportunity to have an outing of fun adventure with her family.

Trans Associates provided transportation engineering services as a subconsultant for the Southern Beltway project. Services were provided for the environmental impact study and the preliminary and final Point of Access Studies for the interchange at  I-79. The traffic engineering services included point access studies included traffic projection calibration and analysis, freeway segment analysis, signalized and unsignalized intersection analysis. FREEVAL was used to analyze freeway segments and weave segments. HCS7 was used with Synchro for intersection analysis including queueing analysis to evaluate alternatives to improve mobility and safety. Design services included traffic signal design for the ramp junction at Morganza Road.

Traffic Control Plans – Safety is #1

By: Clifford D. Eich, P.E. ·

When construction, maintenance or special events interrupt the normal function of the roadway, shoulder or sidewalk, a Traffic Control Plan (TCP) is required to ensure the safety of all pedestrians, cyclists, vehicles and workers. The TCP shows how traffic is to be safely separated from both workers onsite and others seeking to pass through the public Right-of-Way. All Highway Occupancy Permit (HOP) projects as well as projects published on PennDOT’s Electronic Contract Management System (ECMS) require a TCP.

When a project is located within the City of Pittsburgh, permits must be obtained for Construction Management Plans. Traffic control is an important component of these plans which include vehicular, cyclist and ADA accessible pedestrian passage considerations. Transportation routing must maintain pedestrian flow without sidewalk detours, which can be challenging when a neighborhood is booming with construction activity.

Trans Associates has assisted many contractors with addressing the transportation aspects of their Construction Management Plans while keeping safety as the #1 priority. Our knowledge and experience in the City sets us apart. Don’t hesitate to contact us today to learn how we can assist you with your project.