Authorities often frame big projects — or cuts to essential services — as necessary for economic development. It happens all the time in education when prioritizing, say, a $700 million stadium upgrade over operating entire branch campuses. “Necessary” cuts and unpopular projects are also common in public transit, where agencies fight over state funding while the commonwealth steams ahead with dubious highway expansion projects.
The Southern Beltway (Pa. Turnpike 576) is one such “economic development” boondoggle that has been under discussion since the bad old days of destroying entire neighborhoods for the sake of a highway. Constructed in fits and starts over 22 years, and maintained by the Pa. Turnpike despite having no direct connection to I-76 or the Mon-Fayette Expressway (yet), the Southern Beltway cost a cool $1 billion to build — and, since opening, serves less than 10,000 drivers per day, or the equivalent of the pre-pandemic P1 bus line. For something “a little safer” and a “little bit quicker,” $1 billion is a lot. The final spur, which will connect to Pa. Turnpike 43, is still years away from opening.
So I wondered: who is this for? I went out to see for myself.
As if avoiding any trace of urbanity, the beltway arcs far to the west of Pittsburgh’s more populous suburbs, passing near more rural communities such as McDonald. Much of what surrounds it is forest or farmland, but a large cluster of Amazon warehouses and other industries now anchors the northern end. At the southern end is a colossal interchange with I-79 that necessitated moving 7 million cubic yards of earth.
Yet the Southern Beltway remains shockingly empty. For something that cost around $75 million per mile to build — and will cost those with an E-ZPass $4.74 ($.36 per mile) to travel — 10,000 cars isn’t a lot. Even post-COVID, Pittsburgh Regional Transit sees over ten times that number on its buses and trains daily. Per some back-of-the-napkin map, it would take 57 years of 10,000 cars driving the entire stretch daily with E-ZPasses to pay down initial construction costs using just tolls, and that doesn’t factor in maintenance.
And that maintenance is costly. The Pa. Turnpike’s maintenance budget last fiscal year was around $83 million, and I don’t need to tell you they haven’t patched every pothole yet. That means the Turnpike has now committed to indefinitely maintaining and salting an additional 13 miles of four-lane roadway, plus interchanges, toll gantries, retaining walls, overpasses, on-ramps, and barriers.
I can see the Southern Beltway benefitting some area residents. The western parts of Allegheny County have seen growth, and West Virginians using our airport will doubtless save some time driving north via 576. There are also many parcels for sale along the highway.
During my drive, in any case, I encountered few such West Virginians. I did pass a few commuters and trucks, but my cruise-controlled ride was largely taken alone until I reached busy I-79. I suppose the Southern Beltway is useful for Amazon drivers heading to Washington County from the massive fulfillment center in Imperial. If the final plan is taking pressure off I-376 by connecting through to Monroeville, it’s also possible that induced demand will eventually undercut those savings in time and money. However, I doubt most area residents will even know the highway exists. Turnpike authorities say it could be 20 to 25 years before the Southern Beltway delivers on its economic development goals. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh Regional Transit is practically begging the state for $117 million and threatening its riders, many of whom are lower-income or don’t own a car, with fare hikes.
In case anyone’s missing my point: new highways are a waste of money. They’re bad for the environment on multiple levels. They do a poor job of relieving pressure on other roadways. When tolled, they’re classist, necessarily excluding thriftier drivers. They’re also an aesthetic nightmare (the Southern Beltway has even spoiled an attractive stretch of the Panhandle Trail). We should focus on maintaining the roadways we have rather than plowing through the area’s hills to make driving a smidge easier for exurbanites.
Imagine if even a tenth of that $1 billion went to T expansion. Smallman and Butler Street would be less congested, parking would be easier, and the walkable hubs of Lawrenceville would be a quick ride away from a baseball game, downtown nightlife, or a trip up the Mon Incline. Meanwhile, your annoying drive to the airport wouldn’t change. Maybe they could invest $1 billion in a T expansion to our new state-of-the-art landside terminal?
There’s plenty going on in the world to be mad about right now. But with state funding constantly being used as a football — and federal funding being used to extort institutions that don’t toe God Emperor Donald Trump’s ever-shifting lines of acceptable behavior — it’s baffling to see many years and billions of dollars being shoveled into traffic projects with no immediate beneficiary beyond the contracting companies that build them.
We have plenty of infrastructure to maintain without adding more. Invest in that instead.
This article appears in Mar 19-25, 2025.
