Recent improvements meant to provide easier access to Ohiopyle State Park earned top marks from transportation industry officials.
PennDOT received a regional America’s Transportation Award for its $12.8 million Ohiopyle Multimodal Gateway project. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) presented the award, recognizing Pennsylvania’s transportation department in the Community Development/Quality of Life category.
Completed in July 2020, the multi-phase project included replacement of the Route 381 bridge over the Youghiogheny River with a wider span that provides roomier travel lanes for motorists as well as a 10-foot-wide path shared by bicyclists and pedestrians.
Additional widening occurred elsewhere on Route 381, a primary access route for park visitors. That allowed for construction of continuous sidewalks and provided space for on-street parking. A dedicated bike lane was built away from traffic on the highway.
Nearby Sugarloaf Road was relocated to improve the grade and allow for reconstruction of a parking lot for boating.
Pedestrians now can cross beneath Route 381 safely using a tunnel created by digging up the highway, installing pre-cast retaining walls and reconstructing the road atop the tunnel.
Ohiopyle State Park, managed by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), attracts almost 1.5 million visitors annually for activities like viewing the Youghiogheny River Gorge and whitewater rafting on the river.
“PennDOT’s work helped improve access and flow at a very busy intersection of one of Pennsylvania’s most popular state parks,” said DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn.“This is key as we continue to be welcoming of all guests looking to enjoy time at a beautiful state park.”
“It is always gratifying when PennDOT is recognized for our efforts,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian.
PennDOT’s Ohiopyle project was weighed against other regional nominees in the small division — projects costing $25 million or less. PennDOT is included in AASHTO’s Region 1, the Northeast Association of State Transportation Officials (NASTO).
Other states represented in the regional organization include Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and the New England states, along with Washington, D.C.
The AASHTO award comes on top of previous honors for the Ohiopyle project. It was selected as the 2020 Project of the Year by the Southwest Penn chapter of the American Society of Highway Engineers and the 2020 Innovative Transportation Solutions winner by the Pittsburgh chapter of WTS, an international organization dedicated to building the future of transportation through the global advancement of women.
