New Turnpike Interchange Slated for Route 981 Corridor
United, PA · October 18, 2026
Frost is skimming windshields this morning, but clear autumn sunshine should make quick work of it before noon. Grab coffee early and take in the ridges while the fall foliage is right at its peak.
The Lead
State transportation planners are advancing groundwork for a brand-new Pennsylvania Turnpike interchange in Mount Pleasant Township, connecting Interstate 76 directly to Route 981 near milepost 80.8. Turnpike officials formally placed the diamond-style connection into their 10-year capital budget, designating it as the pilot test for Pennsylvania’s streamlined design-build delivery method.
The project gained traction because the turnpike’s fast-approaching switch to cashless Open Road Tolling eliminates bulky toll plazas, allowing streamlined highway ramps in spaces that once required multi-lane ticketing plazas. For local motorists and haulers, direct highway access will channel heavy industrial truck traffic straight out of the Route 981 corridor rather than routing rigs across winding two-lane township roads. Design crews are continuing survey and alignment assessments through the coming months, with PennDOT and turnpike representatives scheduling public presentation sessions for neighborhood input next spring.
Local Pulse
District Seeks Bids for Field Stormwater Schools Contractors have until early November to bid on phase two drainage and conveyance work across campus athletic fields.
County Launches Applications for Free Home Weatherization Housing Eligible residents can secure comprehensive heating repairs, insulation, and air sealing before winter chill arrives by applying through the housing authority.
Today's Outlook
- High 60°F · Low 33°F — Clear
- Keep a warm coat handy for the morning chill before clear skies take over.
What's On Around Town
Today
Trick or Treat at Old Salem Market Greensburg Garden & Civic Center (951 Old Salem Rd), Greensburg, 10:00 AM–2:00 PM · Free Costumed shopping with local food makers and kid entrepreneurs outdoors.
Darci Lynne The Palace Theatre (21 W Otterman St), Greensburg, 3:00 PM · $40 Ventriloquism, pop covers, and comedy on the historic theater stage.
Tomorrow
- Adult Yoga Penn Area Library (2001 Municipal Ct), Harrison City, 9:30 AM · Free
- 21st Annual YWCA Girls in Pearls Fashion Show Rizzo's Malabar Inn (126 Rizzo Rd), Crabtree, 5:30–8:30 PM · $85
Tuesday
- Wee Read Adams Memorial Library (1112 Ligonier St), Latrobe, 10:30–11:10 AM · Free
- Westmoreland Community Job Fair The Venue Live! at Live! Casino (5260 Route 30), Greensburg, Noon–3:00 PM · Free
- Simply Mahjong Adams Memorial Library (1112 Ligonier St), Latrobe, 1:00–4:00 PM · Free
Spotlight & Story
- Ligonier Scarecrow Contest
- Every October since the early 1990s, merchants and clubs transform the Diamond’s lampposts into whimsical characters. Originally launched to bridge the quiet lull between Fort Ligonier Days and Halloween, more than thirty handmade creations now line the curbs for community voting.
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