May 2025 Vol. 80 No. 5
Features
Bridging the digital divide: Fiber installation brings innovation to the Pennsylvania Turnpike
By Greg Laugeni
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PATC) is constructing a state-of-the-art fiber optic communications network to enhance communications capabilities. The new broadband network will solve two issues:
- The PATC’s Communications Capacity: Since 2003, communications needs have increased dramatically, with a 14-percent average annual bandwidth growth. The PATC has a challenging task of providing communications for land, mobile, radio, internet, voice and data between its buildings, tolling points and roadside devices. The Commission has over 563 miles of roadway and nearly 700 sites requiring communications.
The current system of utilizing leased lines and microwave towers has limited capacity due to radio spectrum availability and geographic challenges. The new fiber optic broadband network will increase connectivity between the PATC’s administrative buildings and support automated tolling capabilities, among other advanced telecommunications applications for improved safety and mobility. It will also support future needs, such as connected and automated vehicles.
- The Region’s Digital Divide: Rural areas surrounding the PA Turnpike are significantly underserved with broadband infrastructure. Referred to as the “digital divide,” the PATC fiber optic network will help address this issue by extending fiber optic cable through rural areas that have been overlooked. This important initiative is a part of the $42.45B Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) High-Speed Internet Grant Program. from which the Commonwealth of PA was earmarked $1.16B for future projects. A private sector partner will extend commercial fiber optic infrastructure to serve nearby businesses and residents.
In the spring of 2022, PATC began the contract bidding process for contracts #3 and #4, for the design-build installation of the fiber optic network along the PA turnpike west of Harrisburg to the Ohio border. Through the roadway portions of the PA Turnpike, the fiber will be installed in the shoulder of the PA Turnpike in micro-ducts installed by a micro-trenching process.
Today, this 325-mile Western Network installation is in the midst of construction and is projected to be completed in 2026.
A path paved with challenges
The PA Turnpike was touted as “America’s First Superhighway” when it opened on October 1, 1940. It was the national standard for superhighway design and engineering. Today, the PA Turnpike stretches more than 550 miles and continues its legacy of innovation. The fiber optic communications network is a pivotal example, embracing modern-day technologies for improved safety and mobility.
However, installation of the fibers along hundreds of miles of a major highway comes with immense challenges. First and foremost, is the battle against time. Pennsylvania’s seasonal weather, paired with the limitations on the time of day the construction can be conducted to limit traffic interruptions, make it extremely difficult to meet project deadlines.
There is also the challenge of the unknown. Micro-trenching along the shoulder of a historic highway uncovers unexpected obstacles, such as challenging ground conditions. Further slowing down progress.
When contracts #3 and #4 for the western segment of the network were put out for bid in 2022, PATC and its contractors’ sought systems that could handle both the technical complexity and logistical limitations of the job.
Enter GCP and its SAFETRACK MTI micro-trench infill system. After a live demo, the material was selected for reinstating trenches along the mainline of the Turnpike – from Harrisburg East to the Ohio border.
But this wasn’t just a materials handoff, it was a collaboration. GCP’s technical support team partnered closely with contractors, offering guidance on application techniques, pump operations and strategies for maximizing productivity under tight timelines.
Innovation Keeps Project on Track
SAFETRACK MTI brought several advantages critical to the project’s success:
- All-Season Reliability: Able to perform in cold, damp conditions, the material extended the construction season beyond traditional limits.
- Rapid Cure Times: Curing in under 30 minutes, it helped crews move quickly during nighttime windows.
- No Flame Required: Applied cold, it avoided the safety and permitting hurdles of heat-based systems and protected fragile fiber optic cables.
- Durability Under Pressure: In a real-world test, a semi-truck veered into a newly filled trench section, its rim scraped across the SAFETRACK MTI without leaving a mark.
The proprietary mix supports the trench structure, creates a traffic-ready surface and includes embedded aggregate for instant skid resistance, removing the need for extra materials or steps.
From mid-October to mid-December 2023, trench reinstatement was completed at twice the speed originally projected, giving crews a critical edge during the colder months. Contractors and PATC officials took special note of its strength, speed and reliability. They also praised GCP’s technical team for being hands-on throughout the process, conducting demos, assisting in strategy sessions and supporting crews onsite.
As the project moves forward toward its 2026 completion date, the fiber optic backbone continues to take shape – one micro-trench at a time. It’s a story of innovation meeting determination, and a powerful reminder that modern infrastructure is more than what’s visible on the surface. Sometimes, it’s what lies just beneath the road that connects us all.
About the author: Greg Laugeni is the Technical Manager for GCP.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
GCP: (877) 423-6491, gcpat.com
Comments